When Harry met Wednesday
by Jhotenko
Summary: Sirius is dead, and Harry has reached his breaking point. A chance meeting with a pale girl and her family moves Harry's life in a new direction. Rated M for macabre themes, and later on suggestive adult content.
1. When Harry met Wednesday

Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter, nor The Addams Family. I don't even own the computer I use to write, that's my wife's. All I claim as my own, is the way I've arranged the words into something resembling a story.

Author's note: Thoughts of suicide in this chapter, so if that bothers you, don't read. Considering this is an M rated Addams Family story, you really shouldn't be reading at all if the macabre disturbs you.

I love The Addams Family in all its iterations, and was surprised at how well it can integrate into the world of Harry Potter. Each version of the family is slightly different. I'm basing my characters on the live action movie 'The Addams Family' and its sequel 'Addams Family Values.'

Let me know what you think, any sort of review is more than welcome.

-o-o-

Chapter 1

When Harry met Wednesday

-o-o-

The waves crashed violently on the jagged rocks below. He'd been staring down at the meeting point of ocean and cliff for hours now. As he looked back on his life up to this point, he wondered why it had taken him so long to think of this solution.

Starved and neglected as a child, he grew up scrawny and weak. He'd also been forced to endure countless beatings at the hands of his cousin. As he grew older every manner of chore had been heaped upon him. From cooking and dishes, to gardening and home repair, he'd been forced to work for what food he did receive. His cousin gathered like-minded friends, who joined in on his beatings. The only consolation being that he could often outrun his tormenters.

He had thought his troubles had come to an end on his eleventh birthday, when he learned that he was a wizard. He was whisked away to a wondrous world of magic where he learned he was famous! He was Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. Unfortunately his fame brought him more trouble than benefit. He nearly died several times that first year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but he was so enamored with magic, that he didn't dwell on it.

Then his life really started to go downhill. A twisted cycle of summer with his horrible relatives, then off to school where his life was in constant danger. Things got worse and worse, and Harry grew bitter. By this point he had learned how to hide his true feelings, so few knew how he really felt. The only exception was the anger that refused to be tamped down. The rage would bubble to the surface, and cause him even more trouble.

The one shining ray of hope was his godfather who'd escaped prison. A man who'd been wrongly convicted, and spent over a decade trapped in the wizard prison of Azkaban, Sirius Black was Harry's ticket to a better life. Unfortunately, he was still wanted by the ministry. No matter the testimony or evidence, Minister Cornelius Fudge refused to exonerate Sirius. The escaped prisoner was too useful as a scapegoat. Still, the hope for a better life was there. Then it was gone in an instant.

Sirius was dead, and Harry knew it was his fault. Not only did Harry's monumental mistake kill his godfather, but his friends nearly all lost their lives as well. Everything good in his life was nearly completely destroyed thanks to him. Thus he stood on the edge, looking down at an end to his suffering. A single thought slowly gaining traction: Just one step, and it will all be over.

-o-o-

Earlier that day

To say Harry woke up that morning would imply that he managed to sleep at all. No, he didn't wake up. He merely got out of bed. Slowly he dressed himself in the castoffs from his overweight cousin. His eyes were puffy and red, and there were clear lines down his cheeks showing where the tears had fallen. He didn't really care enough to even bother washing his face.

Conditioned to do so, he trudged downstairs to prepare breakfast for the Dursleys. He made sure each person was given their meal as soon as they sat down. Once everyone else was eating, he started on the dishes. He would eat whatever was leftover, if anything was leftover. His uncle took perverse pleasure in limiting the amount of food Harry actually was allowed.

As he idly dried the large frying pan, he noticed the shimmer of a disillusionment charm in the bushes outside. Narrowing his eyes in anger, Harry noted exactly where the witch or wizard was hiding.

"I'm going to start on the yard work now." Harry said in a subdued tone. "When I come back in, I'll take care of your dishes."

A grunt from his uncle was the only acknowledgment he received.

After stepping outside, he made a show of heading toward his aunt's prized roses. When he passed where he'd seen the shimmer, his wand leaped into his hand, and he cast a spell precisely where he knew someone was hiding. "Petrificus Totalus." He intoned, quiet enough that the Dursleys or any nosy neighbors wouldn't hear.

Hearing the satisfying thud of his target hitting the ground, Harry moved quickly. He knew he'd probably wind up in court again over using magic while underage, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to be taking anymore risks, and he wouldn't be pulling punches either. For all he knew, the hiding wizard was a Death Eater who somehow bypassed the wards. He ended the disillusionment charm, and bit his tongue to hold back his cry of outrage.

Magically paralyzed on the ground before him, was Mundungus Fletcher. It was the same person who was supposed to have been guarding him when he'd nearly lost his soul to dementors the year before. A petty criminal, Mundungus couldn't be trusted to guard a pile of rubbish. Here he was watching over Harry again, even after nearly costing him his soul last summer.

In an instant, Harry made his decision. He leaned close, and whispered in Fletcher's ear. "Tell Dumbledore that I'm done. Between having Death Eaters teach me, and petty thieves guarding me, I don't believe he cares about me at all. I'm leaving."

Knowing he didn't have much time, Harry ran back into the house. Ignoring his relatives, Harry sped up the stairs, and into his room. He quickly freed Hedwig from her cage, and told her to fly to Hermione or Ron. Understanding his owl's questioning look, he elaborated. "Please girl, I have to go now. Stay with whichever one you want, I'll come for you when I can." Once Hedwig took flight, Harry grabbed his father's cloak of invisibility, his Firebolt, and his money pouch, then ran back downstairs.

For one glorious instant, he entertained the thought of hexing the Dursleys, but he didn't have the time. Instead, he dodged past his uncle and cousin, and ignored the screeching from his aunt. Barreling out the front door, Harry held out his wand to summon the knight bus.

With a bang the purple triple decker bus appeared, and Harry jumped on. Tossing a galleon at the conductor, he said his destination. "Anywhere with a view, preferably of the ocean. I need a place to think." Seeing the conductor was going to ask a question or three, Harry tossed his whole money pouch at him. There was close to thirty galleons inside it. "No questions, and you never saw me."

Nodding dumbly after seeing how much gold he'd been given, the conductor let Harry work his way toward the back of the bus. Normally a bus ride would allow a panicking teen the calm needed to gather their thoughts; however, the knight bus was not exactly known for its calm rides. Sitting in a well padded chair, Harry slid around as the bus careened across the British countryside. Between the sharp turns, and slamming into the chairs of other passengers, Harry's adrenaline was flowing even stronger than when he'd gotten on the insane bus.

Apparently his bribe encouraged the driver to drop him off first. As the bus came to an abrupt stop, the conductor worked his way back to let him know it was his stop. Muttering, "Thanks." Harry disembarked, and the bus shot off behind him.

He had no idea where he was, but it certainly met his requirements. From atop a rocky cliff face, he had a clear view of the ocean. To make things better, there were rock formations shielding him from being seen from behind.

Finally able to catch his breath, he sat down at the edge of the cliff. As he calmed down, the weight of what he'd just done hit him. Chances were, he would be expelled. Even if somehow he wasn't, he was definitely in big trouble. Gazing wistfully out at the tumultuous water, Harry decided that at least for the time being, he would just relax, think about his life, and not worry about any consequences.

-o-o-

Currently

Harry lifted his foot in preparation to make that final step.

"You're doing it wrong." A flat voice said.

Startled, Harry nearly toppled over the edge, but ended up falling back and landing on his bum. While groping for his wand, Harry quickly turned to see who had found him.

A pale girl with long black pigtails stood by the rocks wearing a pitch black dress that emphasized her lack of color. She looked to be about his age. "We aren't high enough for the fall to kill you." She said dispassionately. "You'll just be horribly maimed, which I suppose has its own appeal."

"I, No I... Um. I'm not trying to kill myself." Harry lied

She cocked her head to the side and stared at him, much like Luna Lovegood would at times. Only where Luna's eyes were dreamy and unfocused, this girl's eyes bored into him with emotionless intensity. "Are you sure? If you'd like I could help." She offered. "We can go down the the water's edge, and I can help you drown. I understand its a truly terrifying way to die. If you'd rather, I can just slit your throat. A bit messy, but it would be quick."

"No, that's alright. I really don't want to kill myself, honest." This time he wasn't lying. The girl's cold descriptions of helping him commit suicide had put him off the actual deed.

"Pity." Was her only response.

"Wednesday dear!" A woman's voice called out searchingly. Soon a tall beautiful woman wearing a skin tight black dress that brushed along the ground stepped into view. Clearly the girl's mother, her skin was just as pale, and her face nearly as passive. "There you are Wednesday. Who's your friend?"

"I don't know mother." She answered. "He was suicidal, but I think I talked him out of it."

The woman looked at Harry appraisingly. "That's horrible dear. Now then young man."

"Harry." He said, supplying his name.

"Harry, I'm sorry my daughter has ruined your evening." She apologized sincerely. "Since I assume you now have no plans, would you care to join us for dinner?"

Taken aback by the woman's apparent regret that he was no longer suicidal, he was about to reject her offer out of hand. Then his stomach painfully reminded him that he'd not eaten all day. He'd also given away his money bag, so a free dinner was very attractive. "I suppose so, if it wouldn't be too much trouble." They appeared to be muggles, so he decided that if worse came to worse, he could easily subdue them.

"Wonderful." She said with a smile. "Come along then. Pugsley has found the rest of uncle Knick-Knack, and they're waiting in the car with Lurch."

-o-o-

Harry found himself crammed in the back of an old 1932 Packard. It was an American car that was out of place not only due to its age, but its opulence. Lurch the driver, was an extremely tall man who didn't speak, instead he'd moan. Because of this, and his almost blueish deathly pallor, Harry idly wondered if the man was a zombie. The beautiful woman who'd said her name was Morticia, sat up front next to Lurch. Wednesday sat on Harry's right. On his left, between him and Wednesday's brother Pugsley, was what appeared to be a body bag labeled 'uncle Knick-Knack.' Pugsley, as opposed to his sister, had a constant self satisfied smile, and short cropped hair.

The car itself was extremely comfortable, but the ride was decidedly otherwise. Everything about this family was creepy, and he couldn't decide what bothered him more; being pressed up against Wednesday, or having 'uncle Knick-Knack' leaning against him.

Harry was starting to regret coming along with these people. He was tempted to ask about the body bag, but decided he really didn't want to know. Needing to fill the silence somehow, Harry tried to think of a safe subject.

"By your accents, I take it you're from the States?" He asked tentatively.

"Yes. Gomez, that's my husband, thought it would be a nice change to visit family out this way." Morticia answered.

"Yeah, but dad could have bought a better place for us to stay." Pugsley complained.

"He's right, it's dreadful." Wednesday warned.

"Now children," Morticia admonished. "While I admit it is rather awful, it is only temporary. Grandmama is out looking for a more suitable home."

Something confused Harry. "If it's only temporary, wouldn't it make more sense to rent it?"

"Gomez would never do that. An Addams never rents." Morticia said with confidence.

Harry knew he was rich himself, but the kind of money needed to be able to buy a house outright without batting an eye... Either the Addams family was insanely wealthy, or just outright insane. Considering what he'd seen so far, he wasn't discounting both as a possibility.

-o-o-

Considering how his hosts had described their temporary lodging, Harry was surprised to find it was a very pleasant looking country cottage, surrounded by unused farmland. There was a dilapidated barn, but it wasn't like they were living in that. The only thing Harry could think of was that they were upset over the landscaping. What must have once been beautiful rose bushes, was now a twisted mass of dead thorny vines. Where flower beds may have displayed colorful plants, now showed only rotting vegitation.

As the car came to a stop, Lurch got out, and opened the doors for everyone starting with Morticia's. "Come along children." Morticia said, as she gracefully stepped out of the car. "Lurch, be a dear and take uncle Knick-Knack to his wardrobe. I'm sure he's tired after playing with the children all day."

The moaning chauffeur opened Wednesday's door, and she exited just as gracefully as her mother had. Harry followed the pale girl, while Lurch circled the car to let Pugsley out. "What's wrong with the house, if you don't mind my asking?" Harry questioned as he and Wednesday caught up to Morticia.

"Can't you tell? it's so revoltingly cheerful." Wednesday answered. "It's hard to believe, but it was even worse when we arrived. You wouldn't believe the flowers the previous owner had strewn about the place. It was so... colorful."

"Yes dear." Morticia agreed. "Fortunately, I have some skill with gardening. I think the results speak for themselves. Now we just need to do something about the house itself."

"I don't see why we just couldn't stay in the barn." Pugsley complained as he caught up.

"You'll just have to tough it out for now." Morticia said. "That deathtrap is put to better use as a playground for Pubert."

Harry knew that he should be more disturbed by this family, that he should run and not look back, but for some reason he wasn't. He couldn't put his finger on why, but something deep in his gut told him that he should stay. Beyond that, for some reason he was starting to feel more comfortable around them.

Answers to the questions he already asked had only served to confuse him, and raise more questions. Even though he had several burning questions, like why a deathtrap was a good playground, he decided to simply observe quietly.

Lurch using his longer strides, casually passed everyone to reach the house first. While holding the body bag under one arm, he opened the door wide for everyone else. Apparently he was not just the chauffeur, but was the butler as well. He moaned in response to Wednesday thanking him.

The cottage itself and its furnishings were as pleasant and cheery as the exterior suggested. Harry noted with some amusement that everyone else was clearly uncomfortable with the decor. Morticia led everyone to the kitchen, where things were in stark contrast to the rest of the cottage.

There was what appeared to be blood splattered on the walls and ceiling. A messily butchered hunk of unidentifiable meat was laying on the counter with a massive cleaver embedded in the counter itself. A hunched figure was tending two large cauldrons that sat on the stove top. Instead of cooking with the stove, there were fires lit under each cauldron.

"Mama you've returned. Did you have any success in finding a more dreary home?" Morticia asked the grey haired woman.

The woman turned around, and Harry nearly thought he was looking at an actual hag. Fighting the urge to draw his wand, he settled on eying her warily.

"Nothing yet, but have patience. I'll find..." Morticia's mother stopped mid sentence when she locked eyes with Harry. "What do we have here? I can almost taste the magic rolling off you child."

Harry wondered if he could take many more shocks today. Apparently these people weren't muggles, or at least the crone before him wasn't. "What, do you think I'm a wizard or something?" Harry asked, playing it off as a joke, just in case he was wrong about the old lady being a witch.

"Ha!" The crone barked. "A wizard! That explains it. Haven't seen one of your kind in years." she said pointing a gnarled stirring rod at Harry.

"My kind?" He asked, starting to get annoyed at his constant confusion. "You mean you aren't a witch?"

Morticia laid a delicate hand on Harry's shoulder. "Our family has its own magic. Grandmama Frump is a witch, as am I, and my daughter Wednesday as well. Only we aren't the kind of witches you are used to seeing."

"Wands." Granny Frump spat. "Waste of time if you ask me. Your kind would call us squibs because we can't use your pretty little sticks."

"Mama, we've brought Harry here for dinner. To eat with us that is." Morticia chided her mother. "You can talk about magic later. Where are Gomez and Pubert anyway?"

Realizing there would be no confrontation of any sort, Pugsley wandered over to the simmering cauldrons, and reached out a hand to sample one of the brews. A skeletal hand dripping slime rose from the cauldron and swatted Pugsley's hand away. It then waved its finger at the boy as it slowly sank back out of sight.

Granny Frump swung the rod back behind her without looking. It smacked into the back of Pugsley's skull with a resounding crack. Nobody except for Harry reacted at all as Pugsley was sent crashing to the floor. "They're both out back in the fields, waiting for Fester and Dementia to arrive."

An explosion rocked the house, causing dust and small chunks of plaster to rain down on them.

"It appears they are here." Morticia commented lightly.

-o-o-

Dinner had been... interesting. Wednesday's father Gomez wore an expensive if not out of date suit, and a manic grin topped by a pencil mustache. He seemed to take Harry's presence in stride, and for the most part seemed to ignored him.

Fester was Gomez's brother, and Dementia was Fester's wife. Both Fester and Dementia looked like half dead psychopaths They both had pasty, deathly white skin, and were bald. For some reason, they were both covered in soot. Harry had a feeling the soot was related to the earlier explosion, but wasn't sure he wanted to know the details.

The final member of the macabre family was little Pubert. Strapped into what looked like a miniature electric chair, the three-year-old boy cheerfully ate with his hands. Pubert looked like a miniature version of Gomez, including a well groomed mustache that matched his father's.

The food itself was unrecognizable. Granny Frump's advice of starting with the eyes might have been useful, if Harry could tell where exactly the eyes were. He was pretty sure that it was still alive as well. All things considered though, Harry had been forced to eat worse when the Dursleys had tried starving him. The dinner was actually quite delicious, and once Harry got the hang of pinning it down to carve off a piece to eat, he found himself enjoying the meal.

Wednesday sat next to him, and ate with as much emotion as she normally showed. She didn't even flinch when Pubert managed to get a hold of Morticia's steak knife, and flung it at her head. Wednesday's only response was to snatch it out of the air without looking, and casually hand it back to her mother.

Harry had a feeling he should be concerned about the flying cutlery, but for the life of him he couldn't place why.

-o-o-

After dinner, Gomez came up to Harry and gripped his shoulder. "Harry my boy, Tish tells me my daughter talked you out of an early grave." Before Harry could deny anything, or even open his mouth, Gomez led him out the back door. "Death is something to look forward to, there's no doubt about it. However, there is much to enjoy while you drag yourself through the morass of life. Why don't you tell me what happened to make you want to rush into the eternal bliss of Death's gentle caress?"

Harry's silence pushed Gomez into continuing. "People tend to confuse me. There are so many who seem to enjoy such odd things. Sunny days, bright colors, cheerful laughter, all things that should upset a normal person."

"Huh?" Harry was thrown a bit by the older man's topic change.

"You've seen that our family enjoys the finer things in life. The stench of decay, the beauty of freshly spilt blood, the sheer joy one gets from skirting the edge of Death's door. For some reason these things put most people off, but not you. I can tell. You were hesitant at first, but now our way of life intrigues you."

"I guess..." He still felt like the Adamses were disturbing, but for some reason he wasn't disturbed.

Gomez offered a cigar to Harry who politely refused. Shrugging, he lit the cigar, and held it between his teeth."Suit yourself. Anyway, my point is I get the feeling we can understand each other." He pointed his burning cigar at Harry. "Why don't you tell me what made you want oblivion so early in life. If you'd like, I won't tell anyone, not even Tish."

Harry realized that Gomez was now waiting for a response of some kind as he puffed idly on his cigar. His first instinct was to keep quiet, but again there was just something about Gomez and his family. "My life has been hellish, and with very few exceptions, everyone has wanted to control me."

Harry reviewed everything he'd thought about earlier that day while standing on the cliff's edge. Gomez merely listened, nodding every now and then to show he was paying attention. As Harry talked, and Gomez listened, they both walked deeper into the overgrown field.

"Hmm." Gomez mused as he casually rolled his cigar between his fingers. "I must admit, I don't quite understand. The life you described should have done one of two things to you. You should either be a submissive docile wretch, doing whatever anyone asks of you, or a psychopath, wallowing in twisted depravity."

Gomez went on as they both stopped walking. "Instead, you seem to be fairly... What's the term? Ah yes, well adjusted. Anger issues aside of course. I'm not saying you're leaving something out intentionally, but it seems like there's something missing from your tale."

Gomez stared intently at Harry, sizing him up. Coming to a decision, he again changed topics abruptly. "Names can be a window into who a person truly is. Tell me, do you know what your name means?" He asked as he puffed away on his cigar.

Harry looked questioningly at the grinning man. "I can't say I do. Harry is a pretty normal name right?"

"Ha!" Gomez barked as he slapped Harry on the back causing the boy to stumble forward. "Harold is a name for kings! Not just any king though. No, a powerful ruler who commands armies. It is a strong name. One I think suits you from what you've told me of your adventures last year." Gomez pulled the cigar out of his mouth, and a wild look grew in his eyes. "Harry has its own meaning. It means to relentlessly attack or harass. In other words... to torment." His grin widened, and Gomez looked every inch the psychopath. "I think you'll fit in nicely here with our family."

Harry stood alone in the field, and watched Gomez saunter back to the house, laughing in an almost sinister manner. Today had been a day filled with deep thought and introspection. Gomez had just added another layer that Harry needed to examine.

-o-o-

Night fell, casting sinister shadows across the grounds. Harry had hardly moved from where Gomez had left him. His still silhouette was highlighted by the nearly full moon. Gomez and Morticia stood on the patio bathed in moonlight, watching him.

"I keep expecting him to howl at the moon." Morticia noted. "He looks so lonely and depressed. Darling whatever did you say to him? It looks like he may kill himself now after all. Wednesday will be so disappointed that she wasn't the one to help him along."

Wrapping his arms around her, Gomez trailed kisses along her shoulder and up her neck. "I don't think we have to worry about that my love. The boy is just thinking. He told me his life story out there, and I think I made him realize that he was missing parts."

She arched back into him, allowing him better access to her pale throat. "He's missing memories? How dreadful."

"He's missing something. I think he's out there trying to find it again." His hot breath contrasted against her frigid skin.

"Se rappeler les oubliés." She said softly.

His eyes glazed over with desire. "Tish, that's French! You know how that drives me mad." He spun her around and pulled her close, gazing deeply into her own smoldering eyes.

"Oui."

Unable to resist any longer, Gomez swept his wife into his arms and carried her into their bedroom past the cackling form of Grandmama Frump who was busy brewing something putrid in a small cauldron.

-o-o-

Gomez was right, something just didn't fit about how he remembered his life. He kept recalling the way Gomez used 'well adjusted' as an epithet, and how he seemed disappointed that Harry hadn't turned into a psychopath.

Try as he might, he could make no sense out of what he'd been through, and how he was now. It just felt wrong. Looking back at the cottage which looked downright evil in the light of the moon, he was confused at how right the Adamses felt.

Noticing that the two figures watching him had disappeared, Harry decided to give up his soul searching for the night. Perhaps in the morning, after he was rested, things would make more sense.

The walk back to the cabin was long and cold. He was thankful that Gomez and Morticia had offered him shelter for the night, he didn't exactly have anywhere else to go. He did hope someone was still awake, seeing as he had no idea where he was supposed to sleep. There seemed to be flickering lights on in the kitchen area, so that's where he headed as soon as he reached the building.

"Couldn't find what you needed could you child?" Granny Frump said as she carefully poured the foulest smelling potion he'd ever had the misfortune to encounter. "This will straighten you right out." She handed him the potion she'd just brewed. It bubbled menacingly.

"What will it do?" Harry asked, unsure about drinking the foul concoction.

She sat down and motioned for him to join her. "It should unlock any hidden memories you have, and before you say anything, Gomez didn't mention what you talked about at all. I have other, more reliable ways of gathering information." Noting his reluctance to drink, she urged him on. "Go on then, it will do you a world of good. It's my own special recipe, it will also improve your memory." Smiling as he drank, she added, "It also makes a fine drain cleaner, will eat through any clog."

Surprisingly, the potion didn't taste nearly as bad as it smelled, in fact it was almost delicious. He spluttered, nearly choking on the last swallow as he heard her drain cleaner comment. Almost slamming the cup down on the table, he glared at her.

She responded by cackling madly. "I forgot to mention, it'll knock you out for quite a while too. Nighty night!"

The world started to spin, and the last thing he remembered before darkness took him, was her insane laughter.

-o-o-

Author's note: This chapter is a bit on the short side, but it seemed like a good stopping point.

I don't speak French, but I believe 'Se rappeler les oubliés.' translates as: 'To remember the forgotten.' 'Oui.' I'm certain means: 'Yes.'

If anyone out there is artistically inclined, I would love help with making a cover image.

If you like the concept of Harry Potter mixed with The Addams Family, then I highly recommend reading 'Harveste' and its sequels by the author kyaru-chan. She unfortunately no longer updates, but she has written up to year six.

I also have to recommend 'Absinthe Addams and the forgotten identity' by the author Arisana803. 'Absinthe' is inspired and influenced by 'Harveste,' and has the bonus of still being updated.


	2. Who am I?

Authors note: Wow... this story topped 100 followers in less than two days. I was not expecting this much support. Hopefully this chapter will be as well received as the last.

May those of you who celebrate Christmas, have a happy one. Good tidings to all, regardless of what you believe in.

Thank you for reading, and special thanks to those who review. I appreciate each review, whether question or comment, positive or negative. Let me know what you think, I try to respond to every review.

-o-o-

Chapter 2

Who am I?

-o-o-

It was Christmas, and Santa had given him a toy fire engine. Dudley wanted to play with it, but he didn't want to share. Dudley wouldn't shut up, so he hit his fat cousin with the fire engine. Dudley fell down, and stopped bothering him. His aunt screamed, and his uncle took away the fire engine, and put him in his room for a time out.

He had just finished executing his teddy bears for leading the toy rebellion against him, when a weird old man wearing a dress came into his room with his uncle in tow. The man looked at the teddies, and looked disappointed. He couldn't understand why. He thought he did a good job of crushing the rebellion. He'd impaled the ringleader, drawn and quartered the second in command, and he'd slit the belly of the lieutenant before finishing him off by decapitation. The stuffing pouring from the belly wound was a nice touch he'd thought.

"I'm sad to agree with you Vernon, but you're right. The boy is disturbed." The weird old man pulled a stick out of his dress. "I'll see if I can't make him more normal. Obliviate." A light came out of the man's stick.

-o-o-

It's the first day of school, and he doesn't want to go. He tries screaming, and stamping his feet, but it doesn't change his aunt's mind. His cousin is already on the bus, and his aunt is trying to get him to go join Dudley.

His aunt just won't listen, so he grabs the pencil from next to the phone, and stabs her as hard as he can. The pencil slides into her thigh, and she screams. He forgets what he's doing, and just watches the red blood well up and soak her skirt, while tiny rivers flow down her leg to pool in her shoe.

Soon a weird old man wearing a dress shows up with his uncle. The man pointed a stick at him, and for some reason, he couldn't move anymore.

"Whatever you did last time didn't work. You have to do something else, or else we just won't be able to handle him." His uncle pleaded with the old man in the dress.

His aunt whimpered in the next room, as a strange lady he never noticed come in was pouring water on his aunts wound. Maybe it wasn't water, there was steam that rose as it touched her skin. Then the lady made his aunt drink different colored juices.

"I'm afraid the only option left is to try and fundamentally alter his mind." The weird man said looking at him sadly. "No spell is powerful enough to do so permanently, at least not on its own. I'll do what I can, but I think there is going to have to be some changes around here."

"What do you mean?" His uncle asked.

"If there were some other way I would try it, but all I can think of is to try and make him meek and subservient." Holding his head as if in pain, the old man explained. "I can make his mind more open to the change, but you'll have to do the rest. You are unfortunately going to have to abuse him. Discipline him to the extreme, verbally abuse him, and generally treat him as a burden. If you can break his spirit by the time he goes to Hogwarts, then I'll be able to build him back up into a better person."

His uncle looked sick. "I don't think I could do that. There has to be another way."

"I wish there was." The old man said. "With your permission, I will alter you and Petunia so that you'll be able to do what is necessary. No matter what, it is imperative that the boy stay here."

"Will it make us do horrible things to our sweet Duddykins?" His aunt asked.

His uncle looked horrified. "Petunia! You can't honestly be going along with this."

"We have to Vernon! Just look at Harry. He nearly killed Dudley last Christmas! Just now he almost killed me, and he's smiling. Smiling!" His aunt was laughing madly. It was a nice sound. "I knew we never should have given these freaks a chance."

The strange lady made his aunt drink another juice and the nice sound stopped. Instead his aunt started talking in a real boring way. "Do it to Vernon, but I won't need it. Your kind took Lily from me. You freaks ruin everything you touch. I tried to love him as if he were my own son, but the little freak is an abomination, and deserves to be broken."

"Now wait one minute." His uncle sounded scared. "You said with our permission, and I won't give it! We'll figure something out. We can take him to a doctor, or maybe..."

His uncle froze mid sentence, and stood still like a statue. The old man looked even more sad and pointed the stick at his uncle the statue. "I'm more sorry than you'll ever know, but this is all for the greater good."

The stick lit up, and the light shot out into his uncle. Then the old man pointed the stick at him. The tip of the stick glowed with another bright light.

-o-o-

He complained that they weren't doing anything for his sixth birthday. His cousin said it was because he was a freak, and then pushed him down the stairs. Tumbling down, he felt a sharp pain shoot through his arm as he felt the bone snap. His arm was bent funny, and he held it up to see it better.

"Enough of this then, you need to learn your place boy." His uncle said grabbing his broken arm and pulling him to his feet.

The pain of the bone breaking was nothing compared to the agony of it being forcibly tugged like that. He screamed, and the next thing he knew, he was in his cupboard with a spider crawling over his face. The door was latched securely, and the bulb was missing from his light.

He picked up the spider, and placed it with the others on the wall. He watched them crawl by the light that came into his cupboard from around the door. The spiders were his only friends. He liked them, and their kisses tingled funny. He was stuck with his friends for a while because his uncle had locked him in here.

He poked at his broken arm, and marveled at the feeling of pain that each touch produced. There wasn't much else to do but play with his injury. The quiet of his cupboard was so much that he could hear his heart beating, until he heard his aunt talking with someone he didn't recognize.

"You wanted him broken. You wanted him this way, so don't complain now that we're doing it." She said to the stranger.

"My dear, I meant his will, not his body." The stranger sounded upset. "No one benefits if he becomes crippled, or worse, dies."

His aunt snorted. "I'd love it if he died. Then we wouldn't have to put up with him anymore."

Not particularly caring about the conversation, he started poking his arm again. Concentrating on the feeling, the conversation faded into the background, and all he thought about was how cool the broken bone felt through his skin.

He heard the latch undone, and looked up as the door opened. He blinked to let his eyes get used to the light, and the first thing he saw was a weird old man wearing a dress and holding a stick.

"Great Merlin!" The old man exclaimed. "Harry, what are you doing, and for the love of magic, why are you smiling?"

He looked down and noticed that the bone was now poking through. Blood was dripping off of his arm, and staining his mattress. His finger was picking at the now exposed bone.

"See! You see? He may not be trying to kill us anymore, but he's still insane. The freak likes the pain." His aunt said from just outside his vision.

"I'll see what I can do." The man sighed as he pointed the stick at him. "Do be more careful with him. I do need him in one piece. Obliviate."

-o-o-

"How long did you say he would be asleep mama?" Morticia asked while she looked at Harry's unconscious form draped across their table.

Granny Frump scratched her temple with a boney finger. "Hard to say. It depends on how many memories he's got locked up in there." Tossing the finger into her cauldron, she made a guess. "Soon I think."

Gomez sat down at the head of the table. "No sense in having Lurch move him then. Wednesday, why don't you set the table?"

"Of course father." She said as she picked up a stack of dishes. Setting them down on the table, she grabbed Harry by the collar and casually threw him off of the table and to the floor. "Where is Pugsley? I wanted to see how sharp my new razor is."

"I saw him take Pubert out into the field earlier. I don't know why though." Dementia said as she and Fester sat down.

Fester grinned happily. "I'm Pretty sure he's going to use Pubert to see how deep the well is. Nothing like brotherly love. Eh Gomez?"

"Right you are old man."

Morticia sat next to her husband. "Fester, do you know if there's any water in that well?"

Pugsley walked in carrying a soaking wet Pubert. "There is, but I planned for that and tied a rock to his leg." He set Pubert into his electric booster seat, and strapped him in. "The well can't be that deep. He crawled back out only a couple minutes after I dropped him in."

"That's my boy!" Gomez cried out proudly. "Chewed through the ropes no doubt."

"That's why we use chains now." Granny Frump pointed out as she joined the rest of the family at the table.

The family enjoyed their breakfast. Taking their time, they talked about unimportant things while Lurch attended them. As the family butler turned to go take care of Morticia's plants, he heard a groan. Looking down, he realized he was standing on their guest. Taking a full step back, Lurch bent over and picked up Harry. Holding the boy in the air with one hand, he pulled out an empty chair next to Wednesday with the other. He set Harry into the seat gently, and went to plate his breakfast.

"I don't think he's quite awake yet." Wednesday said dispassionately as she leaned in to look at his jade eyes, which were glazed over and unfocused.

Harry's hand shot out and grabbed Wednesday by the throat. Her own eyes widened with genuine surprise. No one had managed to catch her off guard, not since before she murdered her first boyfriend.

"Ugh, I feel like I've been trampled by a heard of hippogriffs." Harry said as he opened his eyes, pleased that the lighting wasn't bright enough to hurt.

"Fantastic!" Gomez exclaimed with a toothy grin. "Aching muscles aside, how do you feel?"

Waking completely, he noticed he was choking the girl sitting next to him and panicked. "Ah! Sorry sorry sorry." He begged forgiveness as he released his grip.

Gomez laughed and slapped the table. "Nonsense, no doubt she'll return the favor all in good time. Now, was the potion helpful?"

Harry shook the remains of grogginess away, and then looked down at the jagged scar on his arm. It was one of the few he had never known the origin of. "I don't know. I remember things now, but I... I'm not sure who I am anymore." He carefully glanced at Wednesday out of the corner of his eye. She had simply returned to her breakfast as if nothing had happened.

"I see." Gomez said while looking sidelong at his brother. "Fester, I was thinking. If I remember correctly, the wizards have their own bank. Run by imps or something like that."

"Goblins." Harry corrected absently as Lurch set down a steaming plate of... something in front of him.

"Capitol, goblins then. Harry, I trust you know where this bank is? I was thinking maybe you could take my brother there. Fester can see if they have an Addams account on the books."

Fester turned to Gomez with a look of confusion. "Shouldn't you handle something like that? You've always managed the accounts, ever since mother and father were torn apart."

"True," Gomez waved his hand dismissively. "But you are the older brother. If there are any issues, it would be better that you deal with them." He looked back at Harry. "Well Harry my boy, would you show Fester the bank?"

Harry started to agree without thinking, but caught himself. "I would, but there are probably wizards looking for me. No, there are definitely people looking for me, and I don't want any of them to find me. Not yet anyway."

"That's no problem. Give me a few minutes, and you'll look like a new man." Granny Frump said. "You've got too much color anyway."

Not seeing any reason to stop trusting this family yet, Harry shrugged in agreement.

Wednesday watched Harry speculatively as she lightly touched the bruises already forming on her slender neck.

-o-o-

Harry felt as if he were just along for the ride. This was not an unusual feeling for him, but these people made him also feel like it was his choice entirely, and he could walk away at any time.

He stood before a full length mirror, and could not recognize himself. Dressed in an expensive muggle suit that somehow fit him perfectly, his telltale lightning bolt scar was hidden by a top hat. Wearing clothing that fit was enough of a difference, but his entire face wasn't his own. His skin was pale, and there were dark circles around his eyes, as though he hadn't slept for weeks. He'd always been thin, but now his face looked downright gaunt. His other most noticeable feature was his brilliant green eyes, but those staring back at him were colored an inky black.

"You just happen to have a disguise for me that fits perfectly?" Harry asked as he ran his hand along his now waxy face.

Cackling, Granny Frump handed him a decorative cane to complete the look. "We got lucky. You're the same size as Nick-Nack. That's his face and clothes you're wearing right now."

Harry looked sharply at the old lady who's smile displayed too few rotten teeth. He couldn't tell just how serious that last remark was.

As if reading his mind, she answered. "No, that wouldn't work at all, human skin doesn't keep well. It's just his death mask."

"How long will my eyes stay this color?" He asked as he turned back to the mirror, and stared deep into the abysses that now were his eyes.

"The potion should run it's course in about half a day." She estimated.

-o-o-

To make it harder for Voldemort, or Dumbledore for that matter, to find where he was staying, Lurch drove Harry and Fester into town. Harry had told everyone that they would catch a bus from there.

Fester looked excited, almost childlike in fact. "I've never been on a bus before. Is it true that they're covered with disease and filth?"

"I don't think so, at least the Knight Bus isn't." Harry answered as he held out his wand.

With a loud bang, the Knight Bus appeared and screeched to a stop in front of them. Since Harry was without money until they reached Gringotts, Fester pulled out an old gold coin to pay the fare. The conductor took it without examining it carefully thinking it was a galleon. He gave Fester a few knuts change, and the bus lurched forward toward its next stop.

Interestingly enough the coin remained in circulation for nearly a month until a witch tried to deposit it in her Gringotts account. The teller recognized it as the spanish doubloon it was, and happily replaced it with a galleon of his own, effectively netting him a tidy profit with hardly any work at all. The gold itself was worth around eleven galleons, but if he sold it through muggle channels, he could find a collector willing to pay much more.

There were quite a few riders on the bus, so the trip took nearly fifteen minutes. By the time they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, both Harry and Fester were so jostled that they stumbled around wildly as they fell off the bus.

Clearing his head by slamming his palm against it, Fester broke out into another huge grin. "That was fantastic!" He helped Harry to his feet, who took a few extra moments to stop swaying.

"Alright, follow me then I guess." Harry said as he got his bearings.

Harry was used to being stared at, but it was kind of fun enjoying anonymity at the same time. He and Fester drew every eye as they walked through Diagon Alley, but not one person looked at him as if he were the Boy-Who-Lived.

It took Fester until they were halfway down the alley before he remembered that Gomez wanted him to talk with Harry. "Feels like you've opened a whole new set of eyes doesn't it?" He asked, then grinned wildly as a witch fell backwards in an effort to get away from them.

Harry thought about it, then looked at Fester. "That's a pretty good way of describing it. This sort of thing happen to you?"

Nodding emphatically Fester replied. "Back in the late sixties I got lost in the Bermuda Triangle. Twenty-five years later, a wonderfully demented women found me with amnesia. She took me in as her son, and I was her enforcer for a while. She was a loan shark you see, those were great times." He stared off into the distance with a wistful smile. "Eventually we tried to con my family out of their fortune. I was pretending to be myself, only I didn't know it!" He started laughing, and slapped his knee. "A bolt of lightning returned my memories, and well... There's a reason why there's a section of the family graveyard set aside for enemies." His laughter went from obvious humor to something darker.

"I think I had more than memories taken from me." Harry said as he tightened his grip on the walking stick, causing it to strike the ground with added force. "I think I was changed somehow, made to be more... normal." He spat the last word as if it were the most vile of curses. "Every hour that passes I feel more whole, more right."

They stopped before the steps of Gringotts, and Fester set his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Before I got my memories back, Morticia told me the family motto that I had forgotten. I think it helped me realize who I really was even before my memories returned." He let his face grow serious, almost reverent. "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc."

"My Latin is really bad, what does it mean?" Harry asked, his curiosity peaked at what little he could figure out.

"We gladly feast on those who would subdue us." Shining on Fester's face, was the mad look that Harry was constantly growing more comfortable with.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "I believe I can get behind a credo like that." Coming back to where they were, Harry led Fester up the steps, and into the bank.

They walked up to the first available teller, and Harry addressed the goblin who was busy writing in a ledger. "My friend and I would like a more private location to discuss our business with your bank."

The goblin sneered at them with thinly veiled disgust. "Do you have an account with Gringotts?"

"I do, and my friend would like to find out if he does too." Harry said gesturing to Fester.

Grumbling to himself in gobbledegook, the teller called out to a young goblin runner, and spoke rapidly to the younger employee. As the runner left he turned back to Harry, and pointed to an open door. "Wait in there."

-o-o-

"I still can't believe he managed to grab you like that." Pugsley said absently as he worked with a soldering iron, wiring a timer for a bomb of some kind. "I mean I've never even been able to scratch you, and he just reaches out, and has you inches away from death."

"Maybe he's just better than you are." Wednesday said offhand while she helped Pubert climb into an iron maiden.

Pugsley nodded at first, then thought about it. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She slammed and latched the torture device, and giggles could be heard from within. "Don't be offended dear brother. I only mean that he's faster than you. You take more after Uncle Fester." She waved her hand as if to showcase the collection of explosives that Pugsley had made.

He smiled widely. "Yeah, he says I'm better with dynamite than he was when he was a kid."

Nodding, Wednesday continued. "I, on the other hand, take after mother and father." She paused, and a ghost of a smile passed her lips. "That's why they love me more."

"That makes sense." He said absently as he concentrated on his work. Then what his sister said registered, and his hand slipped driving the soldering iron into the timer. A small flare up accompanied by sparks shot up, catching his hair on fire.

Wednesday smiled as she watched her brother swat at his head to put out the fire. The iron maiden next to her started to vibrate, and she stepped away. Crashing to the floor, the medieval relic sprang open. Pubert crawled out, stood up, and ran off giggling wildly. Looking into the open iron maiden, Wednesday noted with interest that half of the spikes were bent at odd angles. "Pubert's getting stronger."

Glaring at his sister, he brushed the char out of his hair. "I love you sister dear. One of these days I'll be able to show you just how much. I'm thinking along the lines of an industrial wood chipper."

"You're welcome to try." She said as her hand once again drifted to the bruises on her neck. "The family has taken quite an interest in Harry don't you think?"

Pugsley looked at her sideways. "He's kinda weird, but he doesn't scream 'victim' like most of our guests. Why?"

"No reason." Her face returned to its usual emotionless state. "Don't worry about it." She walked away to try and discover what kind of trouble her youngest brother had no doubt found.

Shrugging, he went back to his timer. His sister was weird sometimes.

-o-o-

Nearly the entire Order of the Phoenix sat at the long dining room table at 12 Grimmauld Place. The day before, Dumbledore had learned that Harry had cast magic at Privet Drive. As soon as he could, he sent word to the order, and apparated directly there. He found Mundungus helplessly bound in the front garden. Harry was nowhere to be found, and the Dursleys had thrown his trunk and other belongings to the curb.

Nursing a growing headache, Dumbledore had convinced the Dursleys that it was in everybody's best interest for them to take Harry back once he had been found. He then freed Mundungus, and heard the petty thief's account of what had occurred.

Dumbledore had ordered the entire order to search high and low for their wayward charge, and now they were gathered to discuss their next course of action.

Arthur Weasley spoke first. "Harry's owl showed up at the Burrow. Hedwig carried no message, but does not seem overly worried. We think Harry sent her to us because he was going somewhere she would not be able to follow for whatever reason."

"That seems to tell us that Harry at least was not kidnapped." Kingsley Shacklebolt commented.

Mundungus looked offended, something he was surprisingly good at. "Hey, I told you all he was hacked off, didn't I? Left of his own free will he did."

Mad-Eye grunted. "We all know what your word is worth Dung. He's not at the Granger's, or any of the other places we thought he might run to. I shook down the day shift conductor for the Knight Bus. He admitted that he picked up a teenager from Privet Drive, and even was kind enough to show me where they dropped him off."

"Kind enough he says. Was that before or after you strung him up by his ears Mad-Eye?" Tonks asked.

"Watch it girly. My methods work, and are legal enough. That's all that matters." He growled at the young auror. "Anyway, seems Potter gave the conductor a bag of gold to forget about him."

"Where did he go Alastor?" Dumbledore asked, hoping for something solid to work with.

"The middle of nowhere. Some rocky cliff overlooking the ocean." He took a swig of his ever present flask. "Before anyone asks, I already checked. He didn't off himself, or even try. No sign of him jumping, and I checked all along that damn cliff."

Molly Weasley leaped to her feet, outraged. "Harry would never do that!"

Mad-Eye laughed. "Sure he wouldn't. Do any of you ever take the time to look at the boy? He's one step away from snapping, and either killing himself, or running to confront Voldemort. Which is essentially the same thing."

Dumbledore looked shocked. "What? I knew Harry was upset, but it can't be that bad can it?"

"I thought you knew. Your slipping old man, the boy can't hide his feelings half as well as he thinks." Mad-Eye shrugged. "I did tell you we needed to throw the lad a bone this summer. Not my fault you don't listen to me."

The order devolved quickly into a cacophony of members trying to talk over one another. Dumbledore held his head, feeling another headache coming on. He wondered what he could have done differently to adjust Harry in his youth. "Enough!" He thundered, using his magic to wandlessly amplify his voice.

He stood, and made eye contact with everyone as he scanned the room. "What is done, is done. We need to move forward. The most important thing is to find Harry. Kingsley, Nymphadora, Arthur, I need you three to keep an eye on the ministry as best as you can. If there is any word of Harry's whereabouts, let me know immediately."

Moving on, he addressed the rest of the order, giving everyone a task suited to their abilities and/or occupation. He left Mad-Eye for last. "Alastor, is there any hope of tracking where Harry went from where the Knight Bus dropped him off?"

Mad-Eye shook his head. "Too much driving wind. Any tracks were long gone when I arrived, and there was no magic residue anywhere, so I couldn't follow him that way. You know damn well I would have followed him if I could Albus."

Dumbledore sighed, and fell back into his chair. "Alastor, I fear I have made some mistakes while trying to do what is best for Harry."

-o-o-

Harry was expecting a long wait, but after only five minutes an elderly goblin walked into the room, and sat behind the desk that was the focus of the room. "You were fortunate that I was returning anyway." The goblin said in a tone that showed he thought little of humans in general.

"These goblins are amazingly rude and nasty." Fester commented happily. "I like them."

Ignoring Fester for the moment, Harry addressed the goblin. "I would like access to my vault. I wanted privacy because I am in disguise, and do not want to announce my presence."

"Obviously." The goblin snorted. "Do you have your key?"

"No." Harry said as he remembered that Mrs. Weasley had been holding on to it so that she could take care of his school shopping each year. "Is there another way I can access my gold?"

Rolling his eyes, the goblin sighed. "Why we even bother with giving you wizards keys, I'll never know." He drew a small stone basin from a drawer, and set it down on the desk. Something had stained the center of the basin, judging by the shape of the stain, a liquid of some kind. "A few drops of blood will reveal your identity." He added as he set a vicious looking dagger next to the basin.

Without hesitation, Harry took off his glove, picked up the dagger, and made a shallow slice across his palm. He took a moment to admire the blood welling up before he made a fist and let several drops splash onto the center of the basin.

The blood slowly sank into the stone, and glowed. Hidden runes lit up around the edge of the basin, and words slowly formed in the air. 'Harry James Potter' His name hovered for a few seconds before dissipating into the air.

"Wow, my turn!" Fester said as he grabbed the dagger which had cleaned itself of Harry's blood. He held his hand over the basin, and drove the dagger through his palm. The flow of blood hit the basin, and a small pool formed before Fester withdrew his hand, and returned the dagger. The blood glowed like Harry's had, but then the blood turned black, and the basin began to shake.

The goblin swore and dove behind his desk. The shaking basin rose into the air and exploded, sending stone shards throughout the room. Raising his head to view the damage, he was amazed to see that both humans were unscathed. Burned into the desk where the basin had been was a single word. 'Addams'

"If you would wait a little longer, I'll be right back." The aged goblin said as he all but ran out of the room.

-o-o-

Mama, what do you think of Harry? Morticia asked as she sipped a steaming cup of tea laced with arsenic.

"I think he has a great and terrible darkness within him." Granny Frump said as she worked on grinding some unidentifiable bones into meal. "There's also something in that scar on his forehead."

"I like him too, but what do you mean by something in his scar?" Morticia asked with one raised eyebrow.

Setting aside her meal preparations, she thought back to the last time she'd encountered this feeling. "It's been a long time, but I'm all but certain I've seen this before. I think he's got someone's soul trapped in his scar."

Morticia looked intrigued. "I hadn't thought him the type. Then again, this morning he did look like such a frightening killer. Eyes glazed over, choking the life out of Wednesday... A pity he seemed to regret his actions."

The elder woman cackled. "Yes, that was exciting. I think little Wednesday has a crush now." She tapped her finger thoughtfully on her lips. "As for the soul... I don't think he knows about it. I think it might be something else entirely. I'll see what he thinks when he gets back with Fester.

-o-o-

"And there you have it Alastor. My sins laid before you. You're one of the few I trust to be practical enough to understand why I have done such terrible things." Dumbledore said, relaxing as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Mad-Eye paced, his wooden leg clumping against the threadbare rug. "There's no redemption for men like us, I hope you know that Albus. I thought you held yourself above all that, but apparently you're just like me. You're just as willing to get your hands dirty to get the job done."

"Alastor..." Dumbledore started.

"No." Mad-Eye said forcefully. "From what you've told me of Potter, you did the right thing. It's just unfortunate that the right thing is so horrible." He stopped, and stared at Dumbledore with both his regular eye, and his electric blue one. "The question is, has Potter lost it? Even if he hasn't, we need to prepare for if he does. For that matter, what can we do now to ensure he remains one of the good guys?"

Dumbledore sighed, and slumped further into his seat. He felt every one of his years weighing heavily on him, and he bitterly regretted ever starting down this path with Harry. "We can't do anything until we find Harry. Once we do, you and I will evaluate him, and choose a course of action. Worst case scenario, I will modify his mind further. While you find him, I'll work on what I need to do to the poor boy.

"Good a plan as any." Mad-Eye nodded sharply. "I'll find him Albus, just make sure you don't lose sight of what needs to be done. Merlin forbid he winds up as another dark lord."

-o-o-

Harry and Fester were led into another goblin's office. This one was the oldest goblin Harry had ever seen. Next to him was a fairly young, and clearly nervous goblin.

The old one folded his hands, and spoke slowly and deliberately. "I am Bookbinder, master archivist. This is Grabnach. He has... won the honor of being the account manager for your family vault Mister Addams." The younger goblin looked about ready to faint. "Because you appear to be associated with Mister Addams, Grabnach will also take over your account Mister Potter."

"What does all this mean Bookbinder? And I would at the very least, like to make a withdrawal from my vault sometime today." Harry said, his patience wearing thin after being shuffled around from one goblin to the next.

Bookbinder nodded respectfully. "To be blunt, the Addams line has a reputation. Over the past fifteen hundred years, only three humans have ever gained the respect of the goblin nation. All three were Addamses." He pointed toward a tapestry depicting a battle between golbin warriors and wizards. "Wizards in general think themselves superior to us because of the magic they wield through their wands. We have nothing but contempt for those wizards. The Addams line has proven itself in other ways, more suited to goblin sensibilities."

"Usually only the oldest goblins with the most clout gain the position of account manager." Bookbinder continued. "However, traditionally the youngest goblin who is qualified, is given the Addams account. Because, frankly they are more expendable. As an admitted friend of the Addamses, you shall be treated with the same level of cautious respect." Bookbinder explained.

Grabnach pulled out a sheet of parchment, and carefully held it out for Fester. "This is a summary of the Addams account. It has been inactive for two hundred years, and the last Addams ignored it for the most part. You can let me know at any time what, if anything, you want changed."

Fester looked at the parchment, could not figure head nor tails of it, and simply pocketed it. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Fester thought for a moment, then decided the only reason he had come at all was to talk with Harry alone. "Actually, I'll have my little brother handle everything. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"N-no, of course not." Grabnach gulped, praying that the younger brother was less imposing.

"My vault then?" Harry asked. "I'd like to pick up spending money, and enough for my school supplies this year."

"Absolutely Mister Potter, but first, would you like to deal with your recent inheritance?" Grabnach asked politely.

Caught off guard, Harry could only respond by repeating Grabnach. "Recent inheritance?"

Sliding a sheet of parchment across the desk, Grabnach explained. "This is a copy of the will of the recently deceased Sirius Black. Among other things, you've gained a sizable addition to your liquid assets. You also have inherited a property which must currently be under a fidelus charm."

The complaints of the Addams family regarding their current home ran through Harry's head. Considering he knew Sirius hated that house, he was sure his godfather would have no problem with Harry simply giving it away. From what he knew, the Addamses would love the decrepit Black family home. The only tricky part would be the fidelus charm, and the Order of the Phoenix.

"Grabnach, is it possible to remove a fidelus without the permission of the secret keeper?" Harry asked with interest. "If it helps, I know the secret, but I'm not the keeper."

-o-o-

Author's note: It's interesting that Addams Family Latin is just as bad as Harry Potter Latin. A graduate student linguist's translation of the movie's family motto is: "Thus do we growl that (our) big toes have, at this moment, been thrown up from below!" The same student gives a more accurate Latin phrase for the motto: "Laeti vescimur nos subacturis." You can google "Addams Family Motto" to see where I discovered this. It came up as the first result for me.


	3. Shake things up a bit

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has favorited or followed my story. I still find it amazing that so many people are not only reading what I've written, but enjoy it as well.

Special thanks to all who review. It means a lot to see what you guys think, so please let me know in a review. Positive or negative, question or comment, I appreciate every one.

-o-o-

Chapter 3

Shake things up a bit.

-o-o-

It seems the Addams name carried a lot of weight with the goblins. After a short discussion with Grabnach, yet another goblin was brought in.

This one was a middle aged goblin with an air of authority, and unlike Grabnach, showed no fear. He simply sat down in Bookbinder's chair as the master archivist left. "I am Ragnok, head of our curse breaking department." He introduced himself respectfully, then got right down to business. "The fidelus is a powerful ward. Because of its nature, wizards think of it as unbreakable except by the secret keeper. This is exactly the sort of attitude which makes us show disdain for most wizards."

"Then you can break the fidelus." Harry stated with a smile.

"There is no spell, rune, or ward that cannot be broken." Ragnok agreed. "It is just a matter of time, money, and danger." He pressed his palms together, and clacked his claws. "We can bring down the fidelus ourselves, but it will take a great deal of time. It may prove quite dangerous as well depending on what other protections the location has. On the other hand, with your help we can take it down in a matter of minutes. Best case scenario of course."

"What do you need?"

"Your help placing my team in an ideal array surrounding the location. Since the property belongs to you, you should also be able to deactivate any other protections." Ragnok explained, then looked thoughtful. "If you have an elf for the property, that will simplify things even further. The elf should be able to assist more easily and accurately than you." His eyes widened as he realized what he just said. "Of course I mean no offense. Elves are simply..."

Harry interrupted the nervous goblin. "Don't worry about it. I have respect for most house elves. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the one living there will help me."

"It must." Grabnach said. "You own the property, thus you own the elf. Besides, you have been named heir Black, if it is a Black family elf, then it must obey you."

"Sirius made me his heir? He can do that even though I'm not a Black?" Harry asked, shocked at the revelation.

"But you do have Black ancestry, so yes. A simple test would be to call your elf to you." Grabnach suggested. "If it is bound to you, then it will not be able to resist your summons."

"Okay... Kreacher!" Harry called out.

Immediately a filthy, aged house elf popped into existence in front of Harry. Upon seeing who had summoned him, Kreacher stamped his feet and shook violently. "No no no no no! Kreacher won't! He won't obey the filthy half-blood!"

Annoyed that it was apparently only humans that couldn't see through his disguise, Harry lashed out at the elf. He backhanded Kreacher hard enough to jar him, but not send him flying. Then he lifted the elf by his throat. "I am heir Black, I own you, and you will obey me." Harry growled. "I am not as kind as my godfather was. If you continue to show disrespect, I will flay the skin from your bones, and drag your pitiful carcass through beds of salt."

Fester started laughing at Harry's promise of punishment, and harry pointed at the laughing maniac with his thumb. "I imagine he knows ways to keep you alive for weeks while he tortures you, until you beg for death." Harry noted that the elf realized that he was not bluffing. Kreacher's tea towel had a growing patch of wet. Of course, the way that Fester was smiling at Kreacher would make nearly anyone lose control of their bladder.

Harry dropped Kreacher, and explained his orders. "You will help Ragnok and his team break the fidelus on my house. I want the Order out of there, and the sooner, the better."

-o-o-

Molly Weasley sat in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place nervously sipping tea. She was worried sick about Harry, and not for the first time wished that she had added him to her family clock. She hated this house, but had volunteered to stay anyway, just in case Harry showed up.

-Pop- Kreacher appeared on top of the kitchen table, startling Molly, and nearly causing her to spill her tea. "Master has ordered Kreacher to remove the filthy blood traitor and her brood from his home."

The elf snapped his fingers. The next thing Molly knew, she was three feet in the air alongside her babies. All three Weasleys crashed roughly to the ground outside Grimmauld Place. Scrambling for their wands, they looked up to see a goblin, two hideous wizards, and the eldest Weasley son.

Bill Weasley looked as if he was in physical pain. He was wringing his hands before he moved forward to help his family to their feet. "Mum, Ron, Gin, please don't make this any harder than it already is."

"What is going on here!" Molly all but screeched.

"You were trespassing on my property." The thinner of the corpse-like wizards said evenly.

Molly started turning red with anger. "Your property!? The only person who can claim that is..." Her fury gave way to confusion and worry as the thin wizard's eyes gradually changed from coal black to emerald green. "Harry." She whispered softly. "What... why... I... I don't understand."

Harry looked at the family which not too long ago he considered as good as his own. The feelings he had for the three red heads before him now felt hollow and fake. "You don't have to understand, but you do have to go away now."

A soft sound steadily grew louder. It started off like rustling leaves, or crinkling parchment, but grew louder by the moment. Within seconds the sound was like shattering glass, and then silence. A deafening boom was heard, and suddenly 12 Grimmauld place was no longer hidden.

With his ears ringing pleasantly, Harry smiled and nodded at Ragnok. He then tapped Fester on the shoulder, and gestured toward the decrepit building. Together they walked up to, and into the Black family home. No clearer proof was needed that the fidelus had fallen, than Fester waltzing right in.

-o-o-

An old man leaned on the railing of the upper balcony at 14 Grimmauld Place. He sipped a steaming cup of tea, and looked curiously as two figures walked out of the run-down number 12. "Look here love. It looks like someone's actually moving back into number 12."

"I hope they fix it up, that place has been an eyesore for years." A woman's voice called out from inside.

The old man nodded, then screwed up his face in concentration. "Love?"

Sighing, the old woman made her way out to join her husband. "What? If you keep interrupting me, I'll never finish cleaning."

"Has there always been a number 12?" He asked while still staring down at the edifice in question.

Looking at her husband as if he'd finally gone 'round the twist, she said, "Of course there has. What kind of a question is that? There's been a number 12 since they built Grimmauld Place."

"Of course, of course... Only... Had it always been there... yesterday?"

-o-o-

"You need to see it Gomez! It's perfect." Fester said excitedly. "The squatters that we got rid of had cleaned out a few of the rooms, but most of the house is filled with dust and all kinds of deadly creatures."

Harry smiled at Fester's exuberance. "You welcomed me into your home. I'd like to welcome you into mine. I think it will suit you much more than this... bright, well lit cottage."

"You've decided to stop hiding from those who seek you out already then?" Morticia asked with mild curiosity.

"Sort of." Harry said while waggling his hand. "I can't hide that I've taken control of Grimmauld Place, but I'm not going to make it easy for them to reach me. I'll deal with my problems once I've settled in I suppose." He smiled darkly. "Fester told me your family credo. I think they are definitely words to live by. I am through being controlled. I just need to figure out who my enemies really are. As of today, I think the only humans I can count as friends are all of you."

Gomez looked thoughtful, then grinned widely. "Your enemies, the ones that are trying to kill you, they'll know you'll be living there right? Does that mean, if we take you up on your offer, our lives will be in constant danger?"

"As your friends we'll be targets." Morticia added while looking at Gomez.

"We'll never being able to sleep for fear of being murdered in our beds." Gomez went on softly.

"Taken and tortured endlessly." Morticia said, lost in her husband's eyes.

"Querida."

"Mon cher."

They embraced, and Gomez kissed her neck passionately. Morticia's loud moans spurred him on.

Harry was completely out of his depth. He'd seen couples snog before, but this... This was something else entirely. It clearly wasn't out of place for the loving pair, as Fester's mad smile never left his face, and Granny Frump chuckled knowingly while she hobbled over.

"Uh, again, sort of." Harry cautiously said. "It will be dangerous for you to be known as my friends, but um, Grimmauld Place should be fairly safe."

"They can't hear you anymore." The old crone pointed out.

Fester wandered off, presumably to find his own wife. This left Harry alone with Granny Frump, and the increasingly amorous lovers. The old lady motioned for Harry to follow, and led him into the next room. As they left, Gomez and Morticia were losing themselves completely. An end table was knocked over, scattering its contents across the floor, as their ardor led them to the couch. The force of them landing on the couch overturned it, and they rolled across the floor crashing into the wall.

The sounds Harry heard as he hastily shut the door made him glad he was still wearing his mask. He was sure his real face was flaming red from the blush he felt. Somehow, he had a feeling Granny Frump knew anyway considering the way she was cackling.

"So, tell me why this place is safe." She said casually. "I'll let them down with what you tell me later."

Harry had to think for a moment to remember what they were talking about. "Right. Well, the house has a lot of nasty protections on it already, they just needed to be activated. I also commissioned Gringotts to add a few more. Depending on how forceful you are if you try to break in, you'll be repelled by anything from a minor pain curse, to a particularly nasty one that literally turns you inside out. That last one is highly illegal, but Ragnok said it was grandfathered in because the runes for it were carved way before that law existed."

"Well, I've had lousy luck finding someplace." Granny Frump pointed out. "I say if Fester likes it, that's good enough for me." She patted Harry fondly on the mask he wore. "For now, you probably want to get out of Nick-Nack's things. We can have a family meeting later to discuss moving."

Harry nodded in agreement and turned to head toward his room.

-o-o-

Harry walked into the guest bedroom they'd set aside for him, and set the borrowed walking stick and hat on the dresser. He peeled off the waxy death mask, and tossed it onto the dresser as well. He then started to remove his borrowed clothes, starting with the jacket and shirt.

Standing bare chested in front of the mirror, he used a handkerchief to wipe away the makeup that blended the mask to his own face. As he looked at his own reflection once more, he noticed something out of place. Immediately he dropped the handkerchief, drew his wand, and spun around all in one fluid motion.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed." Wednesday said as she stepped out from the shadows. "Not only did you catch me off guard this morning, but you noticed me while I was actively hiding. What gave me away?"

Setting his wand down, he picked the handkerchief back up to finish cleaning his face. "The shadow was too dark. Something about it seemed off, just a lucky guess I suppose." He said modestly while keeping an eye on Wednesday.

Seeing that he was watching her every move, she went for the direct approach, and walked right up to him. She stopped inches away from him, and whispered while staring into his piercing green eyes. "You rely overmuch on that wand of yours. You really ought to carry a real weapon as well."

His hand shot out to pick up his wand again, but her hand was already there, preventing him access. Then he felt cold steel pressed to his kidney. Their eyes locked, and their expressions did not change as she slowly drew the dagger across his flesh. A shallow cut opened along his side, and a thin red line of blood welled up.

"Now we're even." She said as she brought her blade up, and licked a drop of blood from its tip.

Speechless, he watched her leave. He carefully touched the mark she'd given him, and was painfully aware of how his pants tightened. Living in the same house as Wednesday, whether here or Grimmauld Place, was going to be interesting to say the least.

-o-o-

An impromptu Order meeting was held at the Burrow for lack of a better location. Not everyone was there, but enough to make spreading the word easy.

"Where's Dumbledore anyway?" Demanded Mrs. Weasley. "This is very important, and he needs to be here.

Mad-Eye laughed and shook his head. "He's not coming. Considering his fidelus was broken, I'll bet my wooden leg that Albus is lying in bed right this moment, writhing in pain."

Bill Weasley looked stricken. "What do you mean? He shouldn't be in pain. In training I've had plenty of my own spells and wards broken. It doesn't hurt."

"The fidelus is different. You see, the secret keeper is bound to the charm. When you and your goblin buddies forced it to end... Well, imagine holding one end of an elastic band, and pulling it tight until it broke. Now imagine the band being a mile long, and having a bludger on the end as it came back to hit you." Mad-Eye almost couldn't stop himself from grinning. The pain would fade in time, and this was just the sort of wake up call Albus needed to show him that he wasn't the second coming of Merlin that some people made him out to be.

Mrs. Weasley looked confused. "Well, why can't he just take something for the pain? We need him here."

Closing his real eye in exasperation, Mad-Eye let his magic one stare right at the Weasley matriarch. This was exactly the kind of blind devotion to the great Dumbledore that let Albus get so cocky. "He just had a powerful spell backfire on him. He can't use any magic at all until his own magic settles back down, and starts to recover on its own. That includes potions. Poppy is too good of a healer to let him take anything."

Processing everything, Mrs. Weasley slowly turned to her eldest, who had already turned pale in realization of what he'd done. "William Arthur Weasley! Explain yourself!"

"Mum, please! I had no choice." Bill defended himself even though he clearly felt awful. "I took a loyalty oath to Gringotts. The only thing I could have done was quit my job, and what good would that have done? They'd have just used another curse-breaker, and I'd be out of work." He shook his head, lamenting how stubborn and narrow minded his mother was. "I couldn't stop what happened, but I did everything I could to make it painless."

As usual, with or without Dumbledore present, the Order devolved into chaos as arguments sprang up left and right. Mad-Eye sighed. If it weren't for the threat of Voldemort, and now quite possibly Harry, then he'd vanish completely into a nice secluded retirement. "All right that's enough of that!" He called out, slamming his palm onto the Weasley's kitchen table. "Dumbledore is out of commission for now, deal with it. We know where Potter is as well, so he needs to be our top priority, not squabbling like a bunch of schoolchildren."

Everyone quieted, and showed varying degrees of guilt on their faces. Mundungus broke the silence. "Well there's no fidelus no more, so why don't someone just go in and grab 'im?"

Snape, who had been quiet until now, scoffed. "You go right ahead and try Fletcher. I'm sure someone will be along to scrape what's left of you off the street."

"Harry might be going through a rebellious phase right now, but he'd never do something like that!" Mrs. Weasley argued, looking affronted at the insinuation.

"I wouldn't be so sure, but either way it was a Black family home. I have no doubt that that place has some nasty defenses. The boy probably activated them all without finding out what they did." Mad-Eye slammed him palm done once more. "Constant vigilance! Snape is right. Anyone tries to just walk in, and they'll probably wind up a puddle."

-o-o-

Because they still weren't allowed anywhere near the Order meetings, Ron and Ginny were sent over to the Lovegoods for the duration. Luna Lovegood was weird in her own way, but her father took it to an entirely different level. Despite his eccentricities, Mr. Lovegood was a very welcoming host, and even suggested they invite others over and make a party of it. Ron tried to argue that it was just for a few hours, but his objections were squashed by Mr. Lovegood's enthusiasm about his daughter throwing a party for her friends.

Ron and Ginny decided they might as well use the opportunity to let their friends know what had happened with Harry. Ron sent Pigwidgeon to Hermione to invite her over, while Ginny and Luna sent the Lovegood family owl to Neville. They figured those that fought side by side with Harry had the most right to know that something was very wrong with their friend.

The five teenagers sat together in Luna's room. Ginny, having better social skills than her rather blunt brother, started things off. "How are you doing Hermione? I think you got hurt worse than all of us."

Hermione clutched her hand over her chest where Dolohov's curse had nearly killed her. "I'm doing better, but it still hurts. The salve Madam Pomfrey gave me does make it feel better each day, so hopefully it will be healed before my parents figure out I've been hurt so bad." She tentatively touched her collar bone. "She's pretty sure that no matter what I'll always have a scar. It was a pretty dark curse, even if it wasn't full strength."

Hermione forced a smile. "I'll be fine. I know you guys didn't ask us all to come just to see how we are. We can do that through the post. What's wrong with Harry?"

"We're not sure, but something big." Ron said, jumping right into the heart of the matter. "Ginny and I managed to find out that Harry ran away from the Dursley's the other day."

"The Order was going crazy trying to find him before You-Know-Who." Ginny added.

Neville interrupted, looking more confident than anyone had ever seen him. "Voldemort. Harry's not afraid to say his name, and none of us should be either."

Ginny corrected herself. "Right... Voldemort... Anyway, Ron and I had to stay at headquarters with mum just in case Harry showed up."

"And he did, but he was in disguise, and something was wrong with him." Ron added, and went on, not letting his sister talk. "Apparently Sirius left Harry Grimmauld Place in his will. Harry showed up with goblins, and curse-breakers, and he somehow got the Black family house elf to listen to him, and kick us out."

"Ron, breathe." Hermione ordered. Then she paled. "You said Grimmauld Place... 12 Grimmauld Place... What happened to the fidelus?!"

Ron looked a little annoyed at Hermione's interuption. "That's what I'm trying to tell you 'Mione. Harry got Gringotts to break the fidelus. He kicked us all out, and is probably there right now with that other creepy looking wizard."

"What creepy looking wizard?" Neville asked, looking lost.

Ginny shoved Ron. "Let me tell it. You're just confusing them." She stared down her brother before picking up the tale. "When Kreacher, that's the house elf, kicked us out, there were two really creepy looking wizards. I mean they looked like vampires or something. One claimed that Grimmauld Place belonged to him, and it turned out he was actually Harry in disguise."

Ginny hugged herself, and looked off to the side. "Whatever was hiding his eye color failed, and his green eyes looked right at us. It was definitely Harry, but he was so cold. He acted like we meant nothing to him. Not me, not mum, not even Ron."

Luna who had been listening silently, spoke in her usual dreamy sing-song voice. "It sounds like the other wizard could have some kind of control over Harry. Do you think he could be imperiused?"

Glad that Luna was taking things seriously, and not bringing up one of her imaginary creatures, Hermione still shot down her theory. "It can't be that, it doesn't work on Harry. He told me he even managed to shake off Voldemort's imperius.

"Oh." Luna said, seemingly unconcerned. "It must be wrackspurts then."

-o-o-

The full family, including Lurch, sat at the table to listen to Harry's offer and explanation. Gomez and Morticia had already been informed that it wouldn't be quite as life threatening as they had fantasized.

"As Fester can tell you all, Grimmauld Place is dark, dangerous, and oppressive." Harry explained while playing with a large black quill. "It's a decent sized manor house on the inside. On the outside it appears to be part of a line of muggle townhouses. I believe its dark nature suits you all much more than this... country cottage."

"What about you?" Wednesday asked with an eyebrow raised. "I don't believe for one moment that you're just going to sell us your home, and leave yourself with nowhere to live."

Harry managed to look sheepish. "Well, to be honest, my first thought was to just give you Grimmauld place. I didn't really think about where I was going to stay. However, now that whatever Dumbledore did to me is fading away, I would rather stay there myself. I'm inviting all of you to live with me while you're in England."

"We accept!" Fester said enthusiastically, then turned sharply to his brother. "Don't we Gomez?"

Gomez smiled at his brother's eagerness. "How can I say no to that putrid face? I haven't seen Fester this excited since Cousin Pustule's funeral."

"Brilliant." Harry smiled, and placed a sheet of parchment on the table. "This is sort of like a one time use key through the protections on my home." He held his quill high, drawing attention to it. "This is called a blood quill. It will use your own blood as ink as you sign your name. Everyone sign with this, and once you're inside, I can add you to the wards more permanently."

"What about Pubert?" Pugsley asked, pointing to his baby brother. Pubert was sitting in Dementia's lap, and gnawing through the table.

Harry scratched the back of his head in thought. "If you get him to leave a bloody handprint, it should work the same as a bloody signature. His own blood of course."

After everyone signed, some with enthusiasm as they discovered the side effects of a blood quill, Harry collected the parchment and quill from Wednesday.

"Can it take the blood from anywhere, or does it have to be the back of the hand?" She asked as she handed him the blood quill.

"I don't know... Why?" Harry asked nervously, the feel of her naked blade sliding across his skin still fresh in his memory.

Her unblinking eyes met his. "No specific reason, just imagining what fun could be had."

For reasons he wasn't entirely sure of, Harry found himself fighting another blush.

-o-o-

"Master." Bellatrix Lestrange said as she genuflected before him. "I have information that I don't yet know the significance of."

Voldemort looked down at his most zealous servant. "And yet you bring me this information anyway." He pressed his wand to the underside of her chin, forcing her to look up and into his eyes. "Tell me then, what do you know?"

"My dear Aunt Walburga's home, the one that Severus said Dumbledore was using as headquarters for his precious order, I remember where it is now."

Voldemort's crimson eyes widened in understanding. "It no longer is protected by a fidelus. Either the old fool is setting a trap, or he's made a fatal mistake." He released Bellatrix, and tapped idly on his throne-like chair. "Where is Severus?"

Without hesitation, Bellatrix held out her left arm, displaying her dark mark. "I do not know my lord."

Smiling at the devotion she displayed, he pressed his wand onto the mark on her forearm. The tattoo darkened, and he was pleased to note that she didn't seem to acknowledge the pain from the summoning.

They didn't have to wait long. Within minutes, Snape strode into the room, and knelt in front of Voldemort. As always, Snape's face betrayed no emotion, and he acted every bit the loyal Death Eater.

"Severus, do you have any information for me?" Voldemort's words were like honey, but it was clear that Snape's response could easily cost him his life.

Inwardly, Snape cursed himself for not immediately coming to the dark lord with news of the loss of headquarters. Now he was in the unenviable position of trying to explain his tardiness. "My lord, I do. I regret not being able to come sooner, but Dumbledore wished to delay my reporting to you. He kept me busy, and unable to get away without arousing suspicion." A blatant lie, but hopefully a believable one. For several days Dumbledore was hardly able to eat, let alone ride herd on him.

He carefully brought forth an older memory of Dumbledore telling him that he must answer Voldemort's call swiftly to stay in his good graces. Allowing Voldemort to see any memory was always a risk, but Snape's skill in occlumency had kept him alive so far.

"My summons left the old fool no choice but to let you go." Voldemort commented. "Now that you are here, what information have you brought me?"

"Potter has run away from Dumbledore's protection. He apparently discovered that he had inherited the Order's headquarters, and commissioned the goblins to break the old man's fidelus." Snape explained carefully. Trying to give enough information to keep himself alive, but no more than necessary. There were very few spells that backlashed when broken, so he hoped the Dark Lord would not know of that effect.

The Dark Lord smiled cruelly. "There is a good chance that Mister Potter is living there now, don't you agree Severus?"

"I have been unable to investigate myself, but the thought had crossed my mind." Snape lied smoothly.

Without any warning, Voldemort sneered, and cast the cruciatus on Snape. He only held it for mere moments, but caught completely unaware, the spy writhed in absolute agony. "You are supposed to be my spy. I should not have to learn of such vital events from others." He cast the curse again to drive home his displeasure. "If Bella had not realized the significance of remembering the location of her aunt's home, I wonder how long until I would have discovered that Potter no longer hides behind Dumbledore's robes."

He turned to Bellatrix. "Take a few of the newer recruits, no one who shows promise, and go there now. If this is a trap, leave the recruits to their fate, and come back immediately. If it is not a trap, then summon me, and I will personally kill the great Harry Potter."

-o-o-

Morticia and Gomez stepped off of the Knight Bus gracefully. There was no outward sign that they had endured the nausea inducing ride. Morticia sported a pleased smile, and Gomez shook his head in amusement while grinning madly. The rest of the family, Harry included, were driving to London in the family Packard and a rented moving truck. Gomez and Morticia had gone on ahead mainly because they wanted to see what the magic bus was like.

"Fester was right, what a delightfully wretched way to travel." Gomez commented as he looked around for number 12 Grimmauld Place.

"Over there darling." She pointed at the beautifully decrepit townhouse. "The bodies were a nice touch, but won't the neighbors complain?"

Looking to where his wife was pointing as they both walked, Gomez shrugged. "Maybe people around here are able to appreciate such things. Either that or they're fresh. Let's find out if they're burglars who ran afoul of Harry's security, or perhaps they came to slaughter us all."

There were four bodies, dressed in black robes with silver masks. One was still alive, moaning as if in great pain. The other three were undoubtedly dead if the crimson pool beneath them had anything to say about it.

"We've got time. Why don't we clean up this mess while we wait for everyone else to arrive." Gomez said casually as he removed one of the dead men's masks. Underneath was a bare skull grinning back at him.

"I suppose we should. Dealing with the police is always tiring." Morticia agreed as she knelt down next to the still living man. "What should we do with this one?"

Gomez looked thoughtful, then snapped his fingers happily. "Harry said the wards would be non-lethal as long as the person meant no harm right? Well he wanted inside so badly, lets show him in."

"Do you think he means no harm?" Morticia looked skeptical.

Gomez shrugged. "I think all he wants to do is go home, but if I'm wrong, then what's one more body?" Gomez pulled the mask off of the whimpering man, and gave him a wild eyed grin. "Come on in old man, we'll take good care of you."

Fear and pain was all the man knew as Gomez grabbed hold, and pulled him toward the open door. The more the man screamed and fought, the wider Gomez's smile grew.

Morticia shook her head at her now laughing husband. "Men. Just little boys, all grown up." She smiled fondly at Gomez as he enjoyed himself.

-o-o-

Even without Gomez and Morticia, it was a tight fit in the Packard. Lurch drove of course, with Granny Frump up front. Both Fester and Dementia took up much of the back seat. For one stressful moment after Harry sat down and realized the back was full, he wondered if Wednesday would have to sit on his lap. When Wednesday and Pugsley climbed into the rented truck instead, Harry let out a breath of relief... or was it disappointment?

The two vehicles made their way across the countryside, and headed toward London. Harry idly watched the scenery fly past, and Granny Frump decided to take advantage of her captive audience.

"You go to school for that stick of yours child?"

Shaken out of his daydreaming, Harry turned to face the old witch. "Yes, but we learn more than just wand work."

"So you learn more than wizardry, good. Do they teach witchcraft there?"

"I guess so." He answered, unsure. "It is the Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, but I don't really know the difference. After all, as far as I can tell, the only difference between a witch and a wizard is that witches are girls, and wizards are boys."

She huffed, and pointed a gnarled finger at his crotch. "What you've got between your legs makes no difference. A witch is a witch, and a wizard a wizard. The only thing that matters, is what kind of magic you use."

Realizing he was being lectured, Harry adjusted in his seat to be less comfortable. She couldn't possibly be more boring than Binns, so he focused his attention on her impromptu lesson. "What's the difference then?"

Pleased that he was willing to learn, unlike most wizards, she jumped right into teacher mode. "Wizardry is all about using those sticks. Most wizards think that it's the pinnacle of magic, and look down on everything else."

"I'm starting to see how stupid that is." He said, knowing she'd agree. "Wednesday already pointed out that without my wand I'm helpless. She's agreed to teach me how to use, as she puts it, a real weapon."

She cackled, young love was so much fun. She wondered if he would survive her granddaughter's lessons. She remembered Wednesday's first boyfriend... He hadn't lasted much longer than her own first. "Good for you. If you're good enough, she'll teach you plenty. Anyway, witchcraft on the other hand is subtle enough that a good witch can practice their art without mundane folk noticing."

She ticked off the aspects of witchcraft one by one on her wizened fingers. "Brewing, seeing, ritual magic, knowing what there is to know about magical plants and animals, these are the skills every witch should posses."

"They teach all that, well except for ritual magic." Harry remembered witnessing, and being an unwilling participant in Voldemort's resurrection. "That sounds more like the dark arts, they don't teach that at all."

Granny nodded with a crooked grin. "Rituals do tend to bleed over into necromancy. There's a nice dark art if ever there was one. A Frump specialty too."

Fester who had been listening quietly, spoke up. "The Addams family has always stayed close to our dead as well. Just thinking how powerful a witch Wednesday will be makes me so proud."

"What about Pugsley, or Pubert?" Harry asked, then thought for a moment. "Where is Pubert anyway?"

Dementia smiled. "The dear fell asleep in his electric chair, so we just packed him up with everything else. He'll have plenty to play with if he wakes up in the back of the moving truck."

Fester addressed his other question. "Traditionally the Addams women have done all the magic. I suppose if the boys want to learn they can. I can't imagine Gomez objecting."

The rest of the ride went quickly. With everyone discussing different aspects of magic, it was the most fun he'd had learning since his third year DADA class.

-o-o-

Arriving at their new home away from home, Harry noticed Wednesday step out of the driver's side of the moving truck, which was confusing as he thought Pugsley had been the one at the wheel. Understanding dawned as Lurch opened the passenger side and pulled out an unconscious and tightly bound Pugsley.

Morticia who had come outside to greet her family simply raised an eyebrow to question her daughter.

Wednesday shrugged. "He kept wanting to run cars off the road. While it would have been entertaining, it would have made us late."

Harry walked around to the back of the truck to help unload, and lifted the gate. As the gate rolled up, a glint from the darkness in the truck was his only warning as a poleaxe swung down at his head. Catching it by the haft with instinct born from years as a seeker, he saw Pubert holding the other end. The toddler giggled, and disappeared into the back of the truck.

"What a scamp!" Fester beamed with pride at his nephew. "Did you know the little tyke killed my first wife before his first birthday?"

"Precocious." Harry said, as he gathered up an armful of pole weapons to go with the axe already in his hands. "You don't seem too upset about it."

Fester waved his hand in the air dismissively. "Debbie was a soulless psychopathic killer. I know, I know. She sounds perfect, but she tried to keep me from my family. Unforgivable! Family is everything."

Fester regaled Harry with a few anecdotes about his first marriage as they worked on unloading the truck. Harry found Debbie's failed attempts to murder Fester particularly amusing.

-o-o-

Author's note: I try to respond to every review via PM. If you aren't signed in, then I'll put my response at the bottom of the next chapter.

To Guest reviewing chapter 2: Almost makes you wonder if the Addams and Black families are related, doesn't it?


	4. Sculpture and Dance

WARNING: Alright, this is the chapter where I start to justify that 'M' rating. If you've made it this far, but are squeamish in the face of blood and guts, turn back now.

Author's Note: Thank you all for reading. I especially am thankful for each review sent my way. I love reading what you guys think. I don't necessarily do requests, but I am often inspired by the comments I read. That said, here's the latest chapter. Let me know what you think.

-o-o-

Chapter 4

Sculpture and Dance

-o-o-

Back when it was still their headquarters, half of the Order of the Phoenix could not walk through the foyer of Grimmauld Place without setting off Mrs. Black's portrait. Interestingly enough, the entire Addams family was able to pass by without issue. Even the added challenge of moving in didn't cause them to awaken the harridan. It wasn't really even that they were trying to be quiet. They all just moved with various levels of grace and stealth naturally.

Harry had in fact forgotten all about his godfather's mother.

When everything had been brought inside, Harry went to join everyone inside, but was stopped by Gomez. "We've got a little surprise for you." He said with a lopsided grin, his lit cigar in one hand, and a silk blindfold in the other.

Harry looked at the cigar and blindfold. "A firing squad?"

With a sharp laugh Gomez stuck the cigar between his teeth. "Don't be ridiculous. We didn't bring any guns with us." He handed Harry the blindfold. "Put that on, I think you'll like this."

Harry tied the silk tightly around his eyes, and allowed Gomez to lead him inside. Almost immediately he could smell the distinct aroma of blood, and was that whimpering he heard?"

As Gomez tore the blindfold away and yelled, "Tada!" A few things happened all at once.

Harry saw the Addamses all lined up along the walls, just awaiting his reaction. The curtains on Mrs. Black's portrait sprang open, and she began screaming. What drew his attention the most was a grotesque display right in front of the screaming portrait.

There was a pool of blood with a makeshift throne formed from the headless bodies of three Death Eaters. Rising from the back of the throne were three pikes holding the heads of the aforementioned Death Eaters. Decorating the throne were four silver masks, and four wands were displayed before the throne, just outside the pool of blood. The centerpiece of the gruesome work of art was a still living Death Eater sitting on the throne made from his dead friends. Tied to the the throne, he was gagged and whimpering piteously. Tears flowed freely, and even with all of the blood, Harry could smell proof that he had lost control of his bodily functions.

Harry walked forward, fascinated by the grisly beauty. As he got closer, he started getting more annoyed with Walburga Black's constant shrieking.

"Filthy murderers! Vile blood traitors! How dare you strike down those who follow the Dark Lord!" She noticed, and recognized Harry. "You! Disgusting half-blood, what kind of vermin have been allowed to walk the halls of the house of my forefathers!"

"Oh shut up, your precious Dark Lord is a half-blood same as me." Harry said forcefully, but without raising his voice. "In fact, my blood is purer. His father was a muggle."

"Liar! The Dark Lord will cleanse the world of you and your ilk!" She screamed in defiance.

"I'll deal with you later." Harry said with frustration clear in his voice. "Kreacher!"

The house elf appeared next to Walburga's portrait, which immediately ordered him to kill the intruders.

Harry leveled a murderous glare at Kreacher. "Shut her up, or I will. I'll use fiendfire if I have to." He growled.

Fearful that he'd lose his beloved former mistress, Kreacher snapped his fingers, and the curtains slammed shut. The only sound left in the room was the pathetic sobs of the bound Death Eater.

Turning his attention back to the captive Death Eater, Harry ripped out the gag, and looked him in the eyes.

Before Harry could say anything, the man realized who he was and began to beg. "Potter, Potter please. Call the aurors, call Dumbledore, I'll do whatever you want, just don't let them near me again." His crying went on, even as he continued to beg. "They're insane. Please Potter, I'll do anything. Anything!"

The hope in the broken man's eyes died as Harry pulled out the small dagger that Wednesday had given him to practice with. Harry grinned as he pressed the tip of his blade into the man's flesh. He had an idea.

-o-o-

"Harry would never hurt anyone." Hermione said with conviction. "At least not on purpose. He doesn't have it in him."

The five teenagers were meeting in the Weasley's orchard this time, and were discussing how they could get in contact with Harry. They were worried about their friend, and the adults didn't seem to be doing anything.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "That's not the point Hermione. Fred and George managed to get mum to let them sit in on Order meetings. They told me that everyone is sure that Harry just activated all of the wards on Grimmauld Place."

"Yeah, we all know Harry wouldn't hurt us, but the Blacks are known for having some pretty nasty spells protecting their properties." Neville pointed out. "Even knocking on the front door wrong could get you sent to Saint Mungo's."

Hermione crossed her arms and huffed. "Well what do you suggest? I'm worried about that other wizard you guys said was with him. I'm afraid he's done something to Harry."

"You don't think he works for Voldemort?" Ron asked, worry evident on his face.

Ginny found herself rolling her eyes again. No wonder Harry was always getting into trouble if these two were his best friends. They both missed the obvious far too often. "Ron, if Voldemort was involved, Snape would have told the order about it."

"That doesn't mean anything. I still think the greasy git isn't really on our side." Ron said, looking affronted at the thought of Snape as a good guy. "Anyway, Snape hasn't been around for days, not that I'm complaining mind you."

Luna was weaving blades of grass into a circlet which she carefully put on her head. By all appearances, she wasn't even paying attention. "Why don't we just send him an owl?"

Here Ginny was mentally berating two thirds of the 'golden trio' for missing the obvious, and all of them had overlooked the simplest solution. "How did we miss that?!" She exclaimed, frustrated with herself. "We even have his owl here at the Burrow. Hedwig's can bring him a message, and she's smart enough to avoid any dangerous wards that could hurt her."

"What do we say though?" Ron asked, not sold on the idea. "Hi Harry hope you're well. By the way, are you being controlled against your will by some creepy wizard?"

"I think we should each send a letter with Hedwig." Luna said as she withdrew a small scroll from her robes. "That way he'll have more to read, and know that all his friends are worried. I wrote this the other day. I used an owl quill with peppermint ink. When he reads it, the wrackspurts should fly away long enough for his mind to clear."

Everyone just stared at the lone Ravenclaw. How could someone be so brilliant be so... well... loony. Seemingly oblivious to their stares, she began adding wildflowers to her grass crown while she whistled serenely.

-o-o-

Harry carefully woke the Death Eater, and patted him on the cheek. "There, that wasn't so bad was it? Now, I need you to go report in to you master okay?" He looked at, and spoke to the Death Eater as if the man were a small child needing comfort.

Having screamed his throat raw, the Death Eater had no voice, and could do nothing but sob silently.

Harry gently led the broken man to the door, and down the steps. "Remember, straight to Voldemort." He said kindly, then his voice darkened. "Don't make me actually try to hurt you now."

Fear overrode pain, and the Death Eater disapparated despite his injuries. He wound up splinching slightly, but the hand left behind didn't worry Harry. His messenger would survive, at least long enough to deliver the message. Picking up the severed hand, Harry sauntered back inside.

He had been enjoying himself so much that he'd forgotten that the Addamses had been watching him. He was completely surprised when he found himself facing the entire family smiling at him. Gomez and Fester shared maniacal grins while they clapped, Gomez slowly, and Fester madly. Morticia and Dementia had similar gentle smiles, and even Lurch's normally passive face was upturned. Granny Frump cackled knowingly, and Pugsley simply grinned at him with a thumbs up.

Harry found himself looking toward Wednesday, who was staring intently at him, the barest of smiles gracing her lips. For the briefest of moments, Harry was lost in her eyes. He tore his gaze from her, and tamped down familiar yet alien feelings. The last time he felt this way he was nursing a crush for Cho Chang, only this was much stronger. Frankly he was terrified of the way Wednesday was making him feel, and he had no idea what to do.

Gomez walked over, and brought his hand down onto Harry's shoulder with nearly enough force to break it. "Good show old man! We had a feeling about you, and there's no doubt now."

"Was this a test of some sort then?" Harry gestured toward the pile of corpses with the severed hand.

Gomez shook his head. "Nonsense. This was a gift! We wanted to throw you a small party for being such a gracious host, and now we know what kind of party it will be." Crazed look in his eyes, he stood tall, pointing his index finger high. "Tonight, we dance!"

-o-o-

Finally having recovered, Dumbledore conferred with Mad-Eye over what to do about Harry. "Have you been keeping an eye on the house? If we can catch him outside, then we can rescue him from himself."

Mad-Eye glared at his old friend. "What kind of idiot do you think I am Albus? I can't be there all the time, but I've got a rotation set up. Had to use Dung today. Don't like that, I don't know why you trust him. If you'd let those Weasley twins join, then we wouldn't have to rely on the bloody thief."

Dumbledore sighed. "They are so young Alastor. Molly is upset enough about having her eldest as a member."

"That's bullshit and you know it." Mad-Eye dismissed his reasoning. "The boys want to join, and their of age. If they're anything like their uncles, then we need them."

"That is the problem. They are very much like Fabian and Gideon." Dumbledore pointed out. "Molly still feels the loss of her brothers keenly. She is terrified that her sons will suffer the same fate."

"That's not her decision to make." Mad-Eye shook his head in frustration. "Another time, we're getting off track. We know that Potter is living with an entire dark family. From what we've seen, they're all moving into Grimmauld Place."

"There has been no opportunity to liberate Harry?" Dumbledore asked with concern.

"The few times we've seen him, he's been popping out from under that damn cloak of his." Frustration was evident in the scarred man's voice. "Albus, something changed. I can't see through the cloak anymore."

"What about a revealing charm?" Upon seeing his friend's icy glare, Dumbledore dropped that line of thought. "Of course, my apologies. This is troubling."

"You know why his cloak is now perfect all of a sudden?"

"I have theories, but nothing that would help us bypass the cloak's power." Dumbledore massaged his temples. "We at least know where he is then. I shall try the direct approach, and talk to him. At the very least, I can search his mind to find out how far he's fallen. With luck we can fix this before the summer ends."

-o-o-

"My lord." Bellatrix said carefully as she approached his master. "One of the men from my raid has returned. He is barely alive, and bears a message from Potter. The boy has grown fangs."

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "You thought to read a message meant for me my dear Bella?"

She gulped nervously. "No my lord. I... I don't know what the message is. Its how Potter wrote it that shows me he's playing rough now."

Unamused by the lack of clarity in his Death Eaters explanation, he ordered the message brought before him.

Two men had to drag the bloodied limp form of the 'surviving' Death Eater before the Dark Lord. With glazed over eyes, the nearly dead man stared without seeing. Across his face was carved the simple message, 'A gift for the Dark Lord.'

Noticing that the man's robes were loose, Voldemort ordered them opened. Blood soaked the fabric that was lifted to the sides, revealing a more in depth message carved deeply into his torso. Beneath the carving, an envelope was pinned to his flesh. The bloody message was the prophecy in its entirety.

Voldemort rose from his throne, and tore the envelope free, eliciting a soft whimper from the barely living man. He tore open the letter, and read the final message.

-o-o-

 _Dear Tom, may I call you Tom? I feel we should be close enough to call each other by our first names don't you think? In case I haven't made myself clear, I've gone through some changes recently. I suppose you could say I've had a change of heart._

 _I hope you weren't fond of this man, I think I broke him, but he makes the perfect messenger don't you think? Displayed artistically I've given you the prophecy you seem to so eagerly want to know. It's rubbish if you ask me, but I'm not sure you care about my opinion, I know Dumbledore doesn't._

 _Dumbledore seems to think it means that you and I must face each other and duel to the death. I don't see the point. You're a sick, depraved, monster, who has long since abandoned his humanity. I find I can respect that, and I hope you realize that I'm no longer the 'golden boy' Dumbledore so desperately wishes me to be. I have no desire to kill you Tom. You've tried to kill me, and have successfully killed my family, and those close to me, but you've always been crystal clear with your intentions, so I can't hold those murders against you._

 _I offer you this deal. Stop trying to kill me, and I'll leave you alone as well. Continue, and I will make you realize exactly why I am your equal, as I find and destroy each one of your soul fragments. Yes I am aware of your play for immortality, a foolish goal, but who am I to judge. I wonder if you are aware that you've placed one of your soul fragments within me? That's right, that famous scar of mine contains a scrap of your soul. It explains our 'connection,' and raises some interesting questions. For example, I wonder it connects us in such a way that I share your immortality? Depending on how you interpret the prophesy it could be true. You're the expert on soul magic, you tell me._

 _Take some time to think, and send me an owl with your thoughts. As far as I'm concerned, my enemy is Dumbledore, not you._

 _Harry Black_

-o-o-

Voldemort stood there, silent and contemplative. He showed no emotion save curiosity. After several uncomfortable minutes, he spoke. "See if he can recover. If his mind or body are broken beyond repair, kill him. Otherwise see that he makes a full recovery. I have use for men who can survive such brutality."

Surprised, the two men holding up their injured comrade took him away, much more carefully than they'd brought him in.

"Master?" Bellatrix prompted in confusion.

"I have to ponder this new information. For now let everyone know that Potter is to be left alone. For now." He sat back down, and began to re-read the letter.

She did not understand, but then it wasn't her place to understand. "Yes master, I will make certain your servants all know your will."

As she backed away, He called out to her. "Oh, and Bella? Make sure that no one who sees the prophecy other than yourself remembers it. How you do so, is up to you. Enjoy yourself, but leave the healer alive until our friend is either dead or fully recovered."

With an insane smile, she bowed low as she backed out of the room. "Thank you master. I won't fail you."

-o-o-

The family started to disperse so they could work on settling into their new residence. Harry remained in the foyer, admiring both the macabre work of art, and how he just felt like part of their family.

Lurch began disposing of the bodies. Despite their beauty, they were in the way. Besides, as Granny Frump pointed out, no sense wasting good meat.

While Harry watched Lurch work, he felt a tug on his robes. Looking down he saw Pubert reaching for the severed hand Harry was still carrying. Laughing, he let the appendage drop into the eager toddler's hands.

Pubert squealed with delight, and shoved the thumb into his mouth as he ran off.

"You'll spoil his dinner that way." Wednesday said from behind Harry. "Then again, I suppose it is a special occasion."

Harry turned to see Wednesday holding a dagger in the air by its tip. "I doubt it will be everyday that I have a severed body part to give him." He said with a smile.

"Not with that attitude you won't." She agreed in her own way while letting the dagger in her grip wobble slightly. "Are you ready to continue learning how to use one of these as something other than a writing implement?" Even though the smile she had graced him with was no longer there, Harry couldn't help but feel that she was still smiling at him.

Harry's smile widened. "That would be brilliant."

The two teenagers began searching for a suitable room to practice in, walking in relative silence. Opening doors here and there, they paused occasionally to stab whatever creature was unlucky enough to view them as a snack.

Eventually Wednesday stopped, and waved Harry over. "This room will do nicely." She said as she slipped into the darkness of the room.

Harry followed, and noted that it was an interior room with no windows. The only light came from the doorway, and he hadn't thought to bring a candelabra. Looking around he could tell that the room was an armory of sorts. Probably used more for display than anything, there were rows of swords and axes that vanished into the shadows along with other instruments of death.

"Should I have Kreacher light up the room then?" Harry asked as he slowly walked in, scanning the darkness for any hint of Wednesday. His dagger already drawn and held low, his pulse quickened in anticipation.

Without warning, she was behind him. With an iron grip that seemed out of place on such a slight frame, she held his wrist tightly, preventing him from using his weapon. Her other arm snaked around him to press her blade lightly against his throat. "Why don't we just throw you right into the deep end this time?" She pushed just hard enough to pierce his skin. "That's a point for me. You have ten minutes. See if you can stop me from getting twenty points."

Harry felt her release him, and vanish. He could feel his pounding heartbeat in the tiny cut she left on his neck, and tried in vain to calm himself. Excited for more reasons than he had time to examine, he rapidly searched the shadows for any sign of the elusive girl.

Wednesday used to play this game with Pugsley, until it had become too boring. Even though Harry was less of a challenge than her brother, she found that she was enjoying herself. Harry was fast, and if she allowed the slightest glint from her dagger, then he'd turn to face her. Sometimes it seemed he had eyes in the back of his head. He had an unnatural ability to spot the smallest shine, even if it was out of his field of vision.

Despite his hidden talents, and her drawing things out, she soon had him bleeding from nineteen different places. There was still three minutes left, and she was not eager for the game to end. There was something about the subtle scent of his blood. Remembering the taste of it, she found herself wanting to lick his wounds clean.

Harry marveled at how effortlessly the pale girl disappeared into the shadows. Every time he caught a glimpse of her, or what little light there was reflecting off of her blade, she vanished again. Almost like magic, he felt cut after cut. He knew he wasn't going to win, but he was shocked at how easily she slid past his guard.

On instinct he turned abruptly, whipping his knife around in a wide arc. He was rewarded with the sound of steel striking steel. Again acting without thought, he grabbed her wrist even as she grabbed his own. They stood there for a moment, staring at each other, and he was surprised at her strength. They seemed evenly matched, as he was unable to force her own blade back toward her.

Any illusions he had about her strength were shattered as she slowly pressed forward. He was unable to stop her from pushing him back until he was pressed against the wall. The sharp point of an ancient spear grazed his cheek, and he felt a trickle of blood run down until it met the corner of his mouth. His lips parted slightly, allowing him to taste the salty metallic tang of his own lifeblood. In the dim light, he saw something stir within her ebony eyes.

Barely louder than a whisper, she said, "That's twenty." Then she leaned forward, and captured his lips with her own. Reveling in the taste of his blood mixed with his kiss, she closed her eyes and let her dagger fall. A second clatter let her know that Harry had let his own weapon go. Releasing his wrist, she slid her hand around the back of his head and took a handful of his hair. Finding her other hand free, she placed it on his shoulder, even as she felt his arms wrap around her.

Harry pulled her tightly to himself. As he felt her grip his hair painfully, he deepened their kiss. He knew his arousal was apparent as it pressed into her hip, but he couldn't spare the thought to be embarrassed. He was lost in the moment, and all that mattered was the feel of her body pressed against him, and the taste of her lips.

Neither teen noticed the silhouette briefly outlined in the doorway. A knowing smirk graced Morticia's lips as she turned and left the children to their fun.

-o-o-

The doorbell rang, and the curtain covering Walburga's portrait sprang open. First screaming the vilest epithets she could muster, the portrait fell silent as she noticed the wide smile of Granny Frump who had been passing by at that moment.

"Come on, you have such a lovely voice dear." The old crone remarked. "You aren't interrupting anything now either. No reason to hold back. Let's see if you can't give this old woman a nice headache."

Lurch shambled past, and opened the door with his standard greeting. "Yooou raaaang?" His moan formed the words, albeit slowly.

Of all the things Albus Dumbledore was expecting, a seven foot animated corpse, dressed impeccably as a muggle butler, wasn't even on the list. "I was wondering if I could speak with Harry Potter." He managed to say after a moment of being speechless.

Lurch moaned, and shambled out of sight, leaving the door open. Tempted though he was, Dumbledore did not dare to cross the threshold. He could feel the sheer malice of the Black wards that were now active.

After a few minutes of standing there watching a hag chat with Walburga Black, Harry stepped into view.

"Harry, thank goodness you're alright." Dumbledore said, even as he reached out subtly with his legilimency. "We were all worried when you disappeared, and then suddenly evicted the order from headquarters."

Dumbledore was not happy with what he found at the forefront of Harry's mind. Bitter hatred directed at him, along with a distinct sense of being pulled away from something enjoyable.

"I'm fine. Better than that, I'm in control of my life for once." Harry said with a frown and narrowed eyes.

"You need to return to Privet Drive Harry, it is no longer safe here now that the fidelus has fallen." Dumbledore said, knowing there was no chance of Harry agreeing. He just hoped he could keep Harry talking long enough for him to find something useful in the boy's surface thoughts.

Surprisingly Harry grinned, and snorted with mirth. "I like it here. I have no desire to return to that house. As for the danger, I'll take my chances with Tom."

The thoughts that skipped past confused Dumbledore. He expected the boy to not want to return to Privet Drive, but his reasoning was unexpected. Harry held no resentment at all for the Dursleys. It was the house itself he wanted no part of.

There was no thought at all connected to Voldemort, which meant that Harry had indeed learned at least some occlumency from Severus. It also meant that Harry did not want him to know what his thoughts on Voldemort were. That worried him.

Dumbledore switched tactics, and tried to see if any of the boy's Gryffindor nobility remained. "You are risking more than your own life. Remember the prophecy, the wizarding world needs you Harry."

Harry just stared, no thoughts at all were readable. Not good, not good at all. Harry had truly reverted to his original personality.

In an effort to appeal to his need for a family, he tried one last angle. "What about your family? You're the last Potter. If you perish, so does your entire line. Surely you want to have a family of your own?"

"There are no more Potters." Harry said with a sneer he was unable to prevent. "Just like Sirius felt he belonged with the Potters more than his own family, I belong here. The Potters are dead already."

A set of memories were all but forced upon the aged wizard as he searched the edges of Harry's mind. Harry being informed that he was heir Black. Harry talking with a sharply dressed muggle about who he really was. A meeting with a young goblin involving a legal and magical name change. Drops of blood soaking into a stone basin, and the words 'Harry Sirius Black' forming in the air. Dumbledore stumbled backward as though struck. Harry Potter truly was gone.

"Go away headmaster. I'm fine right where I am, and I don't need your help." Harry said with finality as he closed the door in Dumbledore's face.

Crestfallen, Dumbledore began making plans. He needed to talk with Alastor. It seems their worst fears were accurate. Without wasting anymore time, he disapparated nearly silently.

Inside Harry muttered to himself as he walked away from the door. "Stupid old goat was too concerned with reading my mind to even notice I was bleeding. Safety my arse, he just wants me back under his control."

-o-o-

As was the case with most wards, the protections on 12 Grimmauld Place allowed post owls through unmolested. There was a charm set up to force the owl into a receiving room if anything dangerous was detected; other than that, owls could easily come and go as they pleased.

As Wednesday was about to continue teaching Harry in earnest how to use a knife, a snowy white owl flew into the room, and perched on Harry's shoulder. Nipping his ear affectionately, Hedwig offered her leg which had five tightly rolled scrolls attached.

"What have you got for me girl?" Harry asked as he untied the scrolls. "Hedwig, this is Wednesday. She's a friend. Wednesday, this is my owl Hedwig. She's the smartest owl I've ever seen. Aren't you girl?"

Wednesday looked at Hedwig curiously. "This is how wizards send letters? Interesting, what if you try to send something too big for her to carry?"

"Depends, there are spells that can shrink or lighten a package, or if the package can't be charmed, then a team of owls will deliver it." After briefly scanning one of the scrolls, he looked between Wednesday and Hedwig. "These are from the people I used to be friends with. I'm kind of curious what they have to say. I should also feed Hedwig, Do you think your grandmother will mind an owl in the kitchen?"

"Owls are silent hunters, swooping down and killing their prey without any warning. I'm sure Grandmama won't mind a kindred spirit." Her dagger disappeared somewhere into her dress, and she offered her arm to Hedwig. "I don't believe we'll have time to do too much more before the party anyway, let's go offer your raptor some fresh meat."

Hedwig surprised Harry by hopping over to Wednesday's arm. "Looks like she agrees with your plan."

They walked in silence to the kitchen, where Granny Frump was busy with several simmering cauldrons, and a roast of some kind. Lurch was busy butchering the last of the Death Eaters on the kitchen table.

As Harry sat down to read his mail, Wednesday picked up a slender knife, and sliced a few small strips of flesh for Hedwig. She happily took the offered meat, and greedily ate. Satiated, the owl flew to the tops of the cabinets, and settled in to watch her master.

"Anything interesting, or are they like the old man from earlier?" Wednesday asked.

Before Harry responded, there was a series of muffled explosions that perturbed Hedwig, but failed to cause anyone else to react.

Harry tsked. "Most of them think that I'm being controlled by your family. They think I need rescuing, so no, not like Dumbledore. He knows that this is the real me. They honestly want to help."

"Do you think they'll accept you like this?" Granny Frump asked while she poured the contents of one of her cauldrons onto the roast. "Good friends are almost as important as family."

Harry thought about it while re-reading Luna's letter. Unlike the others, hers blamed wrackspurts for his change in personality. The way she worded the letter though... It almost seemed like she was asking if they could still be friends regardless. "Maybe. One of them anyway. The others I'm not so sure of. I think I'll invite them over. If they can handle who I am, then they're welcome. Otherwise, I'll let Pubert play with them."

-o-o-

Night came, and Harry dressed in the finest dress robes he could find that fit him. They had belonged to Regulus, and were a deep green with ruffled silver trim. Slightly out of date, they actually fit quite nicely with the old fashioned maroon suit that Fester wore. Fester led him through the house to a small ballroom that he and pugsley had cleared of vermin, which explained the earlier explosions he had heard.

"You're in for a real treat!" The bald Addams said with a hoarse laugh as he led Harry to where Pugsley stood in the center of the room.

Pugsley was dressed like a Russian dancer, and had an excited look on his face. Behind the teen stood Gomez, who was dressed much like his brother, and the rest of the family was in a loose circle surrounding Harry and Pugsley. Wednesday, Morticia, and Dementia held tambourines, and Lurch was off to the side holding a violin. The faithful butler watched Gomez as he awaited some kind of signal.

Gomez began to circle the two boys, and describe the origins of the traditional Addams family dance, the Mamushka. He listed off several historical events when the Addamses danced the Mamushka in celebration. "... We danced as the Black Plague swept across Europe, and now Harry Black... we dance for you!"

At the end of Gomez's speech, Lurch began to play, the women slowly struck their tambourines, and Pugsley grabbed Harry's hand. Starting out slow, the music filled the room. Puglsey led Harry through the Mamushka as the music grew in intensity. Soon Harry could feel the music flowing through him, touching on his magic, and guiding his steps. Pugsley produced several daggers from seemingly nowhere, and the dance grew dangerous. Faster and faster the music played, and the ringing of steel on steel echoed as the boys clashed their blades again and again. Harry felt his blood boil in ecstasy, and Lurch played faster than his massive body should have allowed. The daggers flew through the air in a deadly show of skill that Harry knew he did not have, but with the music guiding his actions, he knew exactly what to do, and when to do it. In a final display, Pugsley sent each dagger hurtling toward Harry who caught each one. As Harry stood holding the blades with his hands and arms, Pugsley produced one last dagger which he tossed high into the air. Catching the final dagger in his teeth, Harry stood still as Puglsey danced around him.

Gomez circled once more, singing as he danced the opposite way as his son. The family rotated around as well, until Gomez stood still, and cried out, "Wait! I swear by mummy and daddams... This black-hearted boy... I declare an honorary Addams!" The music restarted, and Gomez finished singing, declaring the Mamushka the dance of brotherly love.

Lurch continued to play at a more sedate pace, and the women discarded their instruments in favor of dancing. Food was laid out at the edge of the dance floor, and everyone ate and danced to the butler's talented playing. Riding the high from the Mamushka, the party lasted long into the night. Harry was passed from woman to woman, until he found himself toward the end of the party slowly dancing with Wednesday.

Despite her emotionless features, Harry couldn't help but remember their kiss, and the look she'd given him prior to it. His only other experience kissing a girl was Cho, but that had been a disaster. He wasn't willing to think that he was falling in love or anything ridiculous like that, but he definitely fancied Wednesday, there was no doubt about that.

The night finally ended, and Harry half stumbled his way back to his room, still slightly drunk off the magic from the Mamushka. He might not love Wednesday, but he was definitely in love with her family. The Addamses were so passionate about everything they did, and there was no duplicity. Some like Wednesday and her mother could hide their feelings, but even they didn't seem capable of lying.

He hadn't even known them for a month, and already they had practically adopted him. Not because he was the Boy-Who-Lived, but because of who he was, and the things he had done. He knew he would gladly die for any one of them, and even more cheerfully kill for them. Most importantly, he knew without a doubt that they felt the same about him. The last thought he had before sleep took him, was that he finally had the family he had always dreamed of.

-o-o-

Author's note: I find it interesting how people assume that Harry would still want to kill Voldemort.

The main 'villains' in the movies were killed not because they were trying to kill the Adamses, but because they were trying to separate the family in some fashion. They actively try to kill each other for fun, attempted murder is just playtime to them.

Harry is perfectly willing to kill Voldemort still, but he'd rather just let him be. By Harry's new point of view, Voldemort has done nothing worth getting worked up about.

To Guest reviewing chapter 3: I don't know exactly what constitutes a lemon. There will be suggestive sexual content. There will not be explicit sexual content. If it was a movie, you might see boobs, but that's about it before it fades to black. Another way to look at it is: I'll stop describing in detail once their clothes come off. I will do my best to remain in the 'M' rating, and not slip into 'MA'

To Guest reviewing chapter 3: "we are interested we want more"

I couldn't help myself, this review made me laugh. I have this image in my head of the Borg Collective hunched over a single computer reading fan fiction. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter as well.


	5. Friends, Family, and Lovers

WARNING: I go to the other side of the 'M' rating at the end of this chapter, so if you don't want to read about the Addams version of sexy, then don't read. Who am I kidding, half of you have been waiting for this on tenterhooks.

Author's note: I am continuously astounded by how much some of you like this story. You guys are amazing. I love reading your reviews, they really do make me more eager to write, so keep letting me know what you think.

-o-o-

Chapter 5

Friends, Family, and Lovers

-o-o-

 _Ginny, Hermione, Luna, Neville, and Ron,_

 _Despite what it seems like, I am not under anyone's control. My actions have been my own, and there is nothing affecting my decisions. I know that from your point of view, something bad has happened to me. In truth it's the exact opposite._

 _I have changed, and it's important that you realize that the Harry Potter that you knew no longer exists. If you want to start a new friendship with me, I'm willing to give you a chance._

 _You can come to my home at anytime. Ring the doorbell, and I'll let you in._

 _Harry Black_

 _P.S. It will probably be simpler if all five of you come at once._

-o-o-

Upon receiving their responses from Harry, the five teenagers gathered again. This time, at Neville's insistence, they were at Longbottom Manor. Once everyone arrived, Neville led them inside.

"My Gran wants to meet everyone. Ever since the ministry, she's been going on about how proud she is of me." Neville cautioned his friends as he led them to his grandmother's study. "I've been thinking too, we should let her know what we're doing, in case your parents floo while we're visiting Harry."

"Won't she try to stop us though?" Ron asked, not believing they could really trust any of the adults right now.

"My daddy doesn't mind at all. He just told me to keep an eye out for silver doxies. They're like regular doxies, only they're venom can be used to clear one's mind." Luna smiled serenely. "Of course silver doxies aren't real, but I like to humor daddy."

While everyone tried to process that Luna admitted one of her animals wasn't real, Neville explained his reasons for being honest with his grandmother. "I know your family is big into Headmaster Dumbledore's secret order, but Gran's not a member. She..."

"Believes that every capable witch or wizard should stand up and fight for what is right." Augusta Longbottom interrupted her grandson as she stepped into the hall from her office. "We may not have fared so poorly during the last war, if more people realized their wands could be useful for more than just scratching their backsides."

"Gran!" Nevilled stepped back in surprise.

Madam Longbottom inspected her grandson's friends, and was pleased that none of them shied away from her iron gaze. "All of you stood by Harry Potter's side not long ago?" Seeing them all agree with various nods, she continued. "And now you're off to do something you think your parents won't approve of."

Seeing the confusion and worry in the children's faces, Augusta nearly laughed. "I may be old, but my hearing is just fine. What is it you are trying to get away with?"

Hermione stepped forward. "We think something has happened to Harry. He's acting strange, and has locked himself up in the house he inherited from his godfather. The Order is afraid of doing anything because the wards are so dark, but we know Harry would never hurt us, no matter what."

"They're all worried their parents won't let us go, they think it's too dangerous." Neville added.

With the exception of the blonde girl, the teenagers all had determination set in their features. They didn't know what they would encounter, but they were going anyway because they're friend might be in trouble. Neville had found himself such brave and loyal friends. Proud that her grandson was growing into such a brave young man, just like his father, Madam Longbottom nodded sharply. "Go on then. I'll deal with anyone who comes along wondering where you are."

-o-o-

Voldemort strode into the makeshift infirmary with Bellatrix trailing behind. "Bella tells me that your patient is all but recovered." He said silkily. "How much longer until he can come before me to receive his reward for surviving?"

The mediwizard looked up from where he was taking notes on his scarred patient. "My lord." He said as he bowed deeply. "I wanted to try a few more treatments before I gave up, but I believe I have done all that I can. I am not a fully trained healer, nor do I know how to mend his mind."

"Then kill him, and stop wasting my time." Voldemort said darkly.

Keeping his eyes lowered, the healer begged his case. "He may still be of use to you my lord. Physically he is well, my lack of skill only means that he will forever be scarred."

"His mind then?" The Dark Lord demanded.

"He is mostly sane, mostly. The trauma of being tortured so thoroughly did break something in him, but I don't know if it will affect his ability to serve you." He explained. "He no longer feels pain, or rather, he enjoys it now. He also has a thirst for inflicting it upon others."

The healer held up his arm, showing a large bite mark where a piece of his flesh had literally been torn away. "That is why I had to strap him down, and why I keep him asleep."

Voldemort looked thoughtful, and Bellatrix hovered over the scarred Death Eater with a look of excitement.

She traced the scars across the sleeping man's face. "We could have so much fun together master. None of your other servants have the stomach to help widdle Bella play with the muggles." She glanced up at her lord with a pleading look that would not be out of place on a six year old girl begging for a pony.

Voldemort drew his wand, and stepped over to the bound man, reviving him as he leaned to look him in the eyes. "Do you recognize who I am?"

"Yes my lord." He said staring into Voldemort's crimson eyes without flinching.

"What is your name my loyal servant?"

"Asclepius Fawley."

Bellatrix laughed madly at the irony, silencing herself at the prompting of her master.

"I will release you now. If you harm anyone without my permission, including yourself, I will kill you. If you follow my orders, I will give you victims as a reward." Voldemort said as he stepped back.

The man smiled, a horrible rictus formed on his butchered face. "Potter has shown me the way my lord, I will serve you to my last breath with the lessons he has given me."

"Black, the boy calls himself Black now." Voldemort corrected as he vanished the leather straps holding down his newest fanatic. "Bella, you should know that as well. The boy seems to have changed drastically for some reason."

Stopping in the doorway on his way out, he spoke to the room in general. "Bella, Asclepius, that information is not to go beyond the two of you for now. Follow Bella's orders as though they were my own." He smiled darkly. "Enjoy yourselves."

"My lord? What about me?" The healer called out, worry apparent in his voice.

Screams filled the halls as Voldemort walked away.

-o-o-

Harry, Wednesday, and Pugsley watched in amusement as a postman kept trying to deliver a package. He would walk up to the door, and almost manage to ring the bell before the muggle repelling ward kicked in, sending him away in a daze. After regaining his senses, he'd notice the package in his hand, and look around for 12 Grimmauld Place. He would focus on the door, and the cycle would continue.

"Now children, I imagine one of us would like to have whatever it is the poor man is trying to bring us." Morticia chided lightly.

She opened the door, and walked out to meet the postman. She patted the confused man on the cheek as she relieved him of his burden, then returned to the dimly lit house. The package was addressed to 'The Addams Family,' and she smiled as she read the return address.

"It's from cousin Itt and Margaret." She commented as she peeled open the box.

Harry looked on in interest as a letter fell out of the box, along with a severed hand. The hand bounced a few times, came to a rest, then stood up on its fingertips, and stretched its fingers.

"That's new." Harry said, having no frame of reference for the apparently living appendage.

Wednesday walked over, and picked up the hand. "This is Thing. Thing meet Harry, this is his house." She said, introducing the two.

Thing leaped from Wednesday's hand, and gripped Harry's in a surprisingly firm handshake before scrabbling up his arm to sit on his shoulder.

"I see you've met Harry!" Gomez observed as he entered the room. "How did babysitting go old man?"

"Margaret writes that he was such a big help while they searched for Dementia's replacement." Morticia commented as she continued to read the letter. "Little What is growing out of control, and they've found someone to be his new nanny."

Laughing, Morticia handed the letter to her husband. "It looks like they went out of their way to find one that Fester wouldn't charm away from them."

Quickly scanning the letter, Gomez snorted in agreement. "I'll say, she sounds hideous. Bouncy golden curls, rosy cheeks, a sunny disposition. How can they stand to have her around?"

Thing leaped from Harry's shoulder, and scurried into the discarded box, producing another piece of paper that hadn't fallen out.

Wednesday took it, and began to read. "They found her through a prison work release program. She allegedly murdered her boyfriend, but they couldn't prove anything beyond a lesser manslaughter charge."

"Fair enough, what do you think of her Thing?" Gomez asked curiously.

Thing jumped into the air, formed a thumbs up, and landed back on his fingertips.

-o-o-

"What do you five think you're doing here?"

The teenagers froze. They hadn't thought about the possibility of the Order having someone watch Grimmauld Place. Remus Lupin stood there with his arms crossed, waiting for an explanation.

"Hi Professor Lupin. We're going to visit Harry. Do you want to come?" Luna said before anyone could think up a better response.

Remus sighed. "I'm not your professor anymore, and it's too dangerous. We don't have enough information."

Luna smiled brightly. "It's alright, Harry sent us invitations. I'm sure he won't mind if you come along."

"He says to come in already, the werewolf too." A flat voice drew their attention toward the house. "I assume that would be you? I've never seen a real werewolf before, what's it like?"

Wednesday stood in the middle of the road, holding a black parasol to keep the sun at bay. Not bothering to wait for an answer from Remus, she turned to go back inside. "There's a pleasant tingle as you pass the threshold. Unless you mean to harm us, then I understand the results could get messy."

"Pleasant tingle?" Ron asked, wary of the creepy looking girl.

Right before entering, Wednesday turned to face them again, and smiled. "Yes, we had Harry make it so that one still affects us, even though we're recognized by the wards." With that, she crossed the threshold, and disappeared into the gloomy house.

Remus was about to try and dissuade the teenagers, but almost as one they swiftly made for the open door. "Dammit, Come back!" Remus growled as he ran to catch them.

With Remus right behind them, they fled into the house. Too late to stop them, Remus skidded to a stop right before the oppressive wards that covered the entrance. He wasn't sure he could control his intent to safely pass. The wolf in him wanted to tear apart whomever had caused Harry to change so radically.

The door closed, blocking him from even seeing what was going on. He paced, trying to decide if he should stay and try to do something, or inform Dumbledore right away.

-o-o-

"Bloody hell that hurt!" Ron swore as he came to a stop inside. "What's she playing at, calling that pleasant?"

The others voiced their own discomfort, with Luna's only response being a small frown.

"I don't know Ron, I kind of like how it feels." Harry said with a smirk.

He stood in front of the portrait of Walburga Black. Surprisingly, she was silent. While she had screamed incessantly, various Adamses had carried on pleasant, if one sided, conversations with her. Finally she had given up, and was now sulking quietly, occasionally muttering epithets.

Harry looked normal for the most part. His wore simple black robes, and the only thing that seemed out of place was his expression. He had an air of confidence that he only ever had while on a broom.

"You look well Harry." Hermione said slowly, ignoring his comment about the pain ward, and trying to come to terms with the fact that they had been hurt. She had been so sure that Harry wouldn't allow any harm to come to them.

"And I feel better than I ever have." Harry added seriously, then gestured off to the side. "You've all met my close friend Wednesday."

They all gave a start as Wednesday seemed to coalesce from the shadows. "If we retire to the kitchen, I believe Grandmama made some snacks." She said completely expressionless, then walked past them not bothering to see if they'd follow.

Harry joined her, and the two disappeared down the hallway to the kitchen. Various degrees of confusion and worry played across the faces of the five friends as they processed what they were experiencing.

Steeling himself, Neville moved forward to follow Harry. "We've come this far. I'm not leaving without answers."

Hermione followed. "I'm sure Harry had a good reason for that ward." She said, more to convince herself than anything.

The Weasleys looked at each other, and hurried after.

Luna slowly followed. A small frown still present, she took in everything around her.

-o-o-

"Asclepius, hold out your arm." Voldemort ordered as he drew his wand.

With an insane smile, and a gleam of hope in his eyes, Asclepius knelt before the Dark Lord with his unmarked left arm bared wrist up.

"You have proven your loyalty to me, and shown that you are worthy to wear my mark." He pressed his wand forcefully into the scarred man's flesh, and muttered an incantation.

Starting from where the wand indented his wrist, the image of an angry red snake slithered across his skin. The snake coiled in on itself, and a skull formed around it. Finally the snake slithered its way out of, in, and around the skull, ending in the dark mark for all to see.

During the process, where many of his followers would at least hiss at the pain his mark would cause, Asclepius only smiled wider. Only Bellatrix was present as a witness to the ceremony, but soon everyone would know that Asclepius had joined the inner circle.

"Good, now hold out your other arm, and I shall give you a new hand." Voldemort said, raising his wand high. "You are more useful to me if you are whole."

Asclepius presented his splinched arm, and watched curiously.

In a casually deliberate fashion, Voldemort slashed his wand downward, and a crescent of red light formed. The cutting curse slid through the extended arm as if it wasn't there, and cut a gouge in the stone floor below. The stump of the Death Eater's arm slid off, and fell to the ground with a crimson spray of blood following it.

Asclepius laughed softly with a wide grin, as he kept his arm both extended, and rock steady.

Impressed with his servant's reaction, or lack thereof, Voldemort made several complex wand movements, and a silver mist formed. The mist gathered around the bleeding stump, and covered it with an amorphous liquid silver that soon shaped itself into his new hand.

"Thank you master." The scarred man said as he flexed his new fingers, and ran his other hand over the seam between flesh and silver.

Bellatrix joined Ascelpius, and the two insane Death Eaters kissed the hem of Voldemort's robe. Then they backed up respectfully, and awaited their orders.

"Bella, prepare a team to assault Azkaban. Our friends have suffered long enough." Voldemort ordered as his wand disappeared into the folds of his robes. "Be certain to let Lucius understand how displeased I am with his failure at the ministry. Let him keep his life and his sanity, but beyond that I don't care."

"With pleasure master." She said, eager to put Malfoy in his place. She quickly left to gather a team to liberate her fellow Death Eaters.

He turned to his newest lieutenant. "I have a special task for you. Young mister Black wrote in his letter that you made the perfect messenger, and I find myself agreeing with him." He handed his scarred follower a tightly bound scroll and a small pouch. "The bag contains a portkey that will activate when you say 'return.' If the boy chooses, both of you will use it to come before me. If he refuses, use it yourself. Do not harm him, or force him to join you. For now we shall try diplomacy, and see where that leads us."

Eager, Asclepius left to deliver his lord's message. As he walked through the halls. He idly wondered if Pott... Black would carve a return message into his back. The smile that formed on his face caused the Death Eaters he passed to cringe and back away from him.

-o-o-

Luna entered the kitchen to find everyone gathered around the table. A hag-like old witch hobbled over to set down a tray filled with biscuits next to a steaming pitcher.

"Here you go, my own special recipe for bat wing cookies." The crone said proudly. "If you need anything just scream, and Lurch will come by." With that, she left the teenagers alone.

"Harry Potter." Luna stamped her foot for emphasis. "We're your friends. Why would you leave up a pain ward like that?"

Harry took a couple biscuits, and poured himself a cup of whatever was in the pitcher before answering. "Mainly because I can't think of a single reason to take it down." He took a bite out of the biscuit, and looked around at everyone as he chewed. "You all seem to have some misconceptions. I thought I was clear in my letters. My name is not Harry Potter, it is Harry Black, and we are not friends, not yet."

Everyone looked upset at Harry's declaration except Luna, she looked downright hurt.

"So what then? All we've been through, all the adventures, they mean nothing?" Demanded Ron, who was starting to flush red with anger.

"Pretty much." Harry agreed. "I'm angry too Ron. Don't blame me, this is entirely Dumbledore's fault."

"What do you mean Harry?" Hermione asked, shaken. "What does Professor Dumbledore have to do with this?"

Both Harry's and Wednesday's eyes darkened as he answered. "When I was very little, he messed with my mind somehow. He also messed with the Dursleys, or at least my uncle. He pretty much created 'Harry Potter' the golden boy."

"Grandmama gave him a potion that got rid of your headmaster's influence." Wednesday explained after draining her cup. "In case you're wondering, we met when I accidentally stopped him from killing himself. Mother offered him dinner as an apology, and he's been staying with us ever since. I suppose now we're staying with him, seeing as this is his house."

Ginny looked up with unshed tears in her eyes. "You mean Dumbledore is the reason your family was so horrible to you?"

Harry nodded. "I know, it was one of the only nice things he's ever done for me; however, since he screwed with my mind, I couldn't even enjoy it."

"That's it then." Neville said with a frown. "Harry Potter never really existed did he?"

"That's right." Harry agreed again. "Do you understand now Luna? … Where'd she go?"

"I thought you were observant. She left before you even mentioned your headmaster." Wednesday said, disappointed. "She could have just slit your throat, and you'd have never seen her coming."

"Jealous?" Harry said with a smile, then he stood up. "I'll see if I can find her. You guys get to know Wednesday. She's my best friend, so if you can't get along with her, then there's not much hope for us being friends."

-o-o-

Luna wandered aimlessly. She felt crushed, and despite her best efforts, tears lined her face. All she wanted from Harry was his friendship. To hear him say they weren't friends with such conviction shattered her fragile heart. The others were her friends, in a sense, but they more tolerated her than accepted her. Harry Potter had offered her his friendship, accepting her, oddities and all. To hear him talk now, their friendship meant nothing, and it hurt. Fresh tears fell to the floor, and she found a secluded room to hide herself in.

Sobbing quietly to herself, Luna felt a cold hand grip her shoulder reassuringly, as if to say everything will be alright. She twisted around and looked up to see who had found her, but no one was there. The grip on her shoulder remained constant, so she looked down to her shoulder to see a severed hand.

Thing released his grip on the crying girl, and stood on her shoulder. Using his thumb, he gently wiped away her tears. He then sat on his palm, and waited for her to tell him what was wrong.

Smiling at the hand's attempt to calm her, Luna asked, "Do you want to be my friend?"

Thing rocked back, and formed the sign for 'okay.' He was a sucker for a pretty girl, and particularly liked blondes.

She wiped away the rest of her tears with the sleeve of her robes, and sniffed softly. "I've never been friends with a hand before, should I shake all of you, or just a finger?"

Luna laughed as Thing crawled down her arm, and shook her hand. If she wasn't watching she would have believed she was shaking hands with a whole person, and not just a hand.

"Thing has a pretty strong grip doesn't he?" Harry asked as he appeared in the doorway.

Showing no sign that she'd been crying, Luna looked at him in her usual dreamy fashion. "Oh no, he's quite gentle. Is Thing your name?" She asked, looking at the hand in question.

In response, Thing leaped into the air, and formed a thumbs up before he landed on his fingertips on the ground.

"I think you left before I finished explaining everything." Harry said calmly. "The Harry Potter you knew never really existed, but if you can accept me as Harry Black, then we can become friends. Considering you've made friends with Thing, I don't see why we can't be friends."

"Really? You do want to be friends?" Luna said, hope filling her eyes.

"Sure, as long as you don't try to get Harry Potter back." He said, motioning for her to follow him back to the others. "Thing, you should come along too. If Wednesday hasn't scared them off yet, you can meet everyone else."

Thing crouched in preparation to leap up onto Luna's shoulder, when she surprised him by picking him up, and setting him on top of her head. Luna followed Harry, while Thing laid flat to avoid falling off.

-o-o-

Asclepius approached the door to Grimmauld Place, and raised his fist to knock. Before he could touch the door it opened, revealing a tall, bored looking man dressed as a muggle.

Lurch moaned, "Yeeeeeeeeees?"

Deciding that Black must have made himself some kind of inferius-like servant, the Death Eater requested an audience. "I have a message for Harry Black from Lord Voldemort."

Lurch moaned as he turned to lead the man into the house. "Faaaalow meeeee."

Shuddering with enjoyment as he passed through the pain ward, Asclepius followed Lurch through the house.

The Addams butler led him to the parlor, where he moaned, "Waaaaaaaait heeeeere." A couple minutes later, Lurch returned with a silver tea service for the waiting Death Eater.

-o-o-

Remus finally made it to the main doors of the Hogwarts Castle. All but running, he hurried to Dumbledore's office. Hoping that the Headmaster was actually in, he made his way past the stone gargoyle, and barged into the office.

"Thank merlin! We need a new headquarters, or at least a better way to contact you." Remus gasped for air even as he talked. "You weren't at the Burrow, and They're out of floo powder."

Dumbledore moved quickly to the werewolf's side. "Calm yourself Remus. Now what is it? Has something happened to Harry?"

Remus shook his head. "No, not Harry, it's the kids. The two youngest Weasleys, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood said that Harry had invited them in. Before I could stop them, they ran into the house. I tried to follow, but Merlin, those wards are frightening. I knew if I tried to follow, I'd be killed."

Thinking that this could cause all manner of problems, Dumbledore hurried to his floo. "How did they all manage to get by you?" He asked as he grabbed some powder, and then threw it into his fire. "The Three Broomsticks" He said clearly, and the flames turned green.

"A young girl distracted me, I believe she is one of the ones living in Grimmauld Place with Harry." Remus explained, both embarrassed for his failure, and worried for the children. He followed Dumbledore as the older wizard disappeared into the flames.

-o-o-

Harry and Luna walked into the kitchen to find Ginny, Hermione, Neville, and Ron practically huddling on the opposite end of the table from Wednesday who was sitting calmly staring at the four friends.

Before Harry could ask what happened, Thing jumped down from Luna's head, and landed in the middle of the table. Ginny, Hermione, and Ron screamed.

Hermione stumbled backward out of her chair, and nearly yelled. "That's it, I can't handle this." She tore out of the kitchen, with the two redheads closely following.

Neville was visibly shaking, but he calmly stood and faced Harry. "I don't know what happened to you, or which Harry is the real one, but this is all too much." Despite his shaking, he held out a steady hand for Harry to shake. "For the friendship we once had, if you ever need my wand, I'll be there. I, I just don't think I can handle all of this right now."

Shaking Neville's hand, Harry smiled. "You're welcome to come back any time if you change your mind. Thank you for understanding that this is who I am now." Harry vaguely gestured around. "These people are my family."

Neville finally managed to stop his shakes, and nodded. Turning to Luna he asked, "Are you coming?"

Luna smiled serenely. "I think I'll stay a while, this place is interesting."

Neville nodded once more, then turned to walk away.

Harry called out before Neville left the room. "I'd be careful of Dumbledore. I wouldn't put it past him to try and memory charm you now that you know the truth about me."

Pausing, Neville replied. "Thanks Harry, take care of yourself okay?" He resumed his exit, and disappeared into the hallway.

"What did you do anyway?" Harry asked Wednesday as he and Luna sat down to enjoy the nearly untouched snacks.

"I just was being friendly." Wednesday said in her usual emotionless way. "At least the one boy had a backbone."

Harry just shrugged, and took a biscuit. "Well I gave them a chance. I'm glad that... Don't tell me, Dumbledore again?" Harry asked as Lurch entered the kitchen and walked up to Harry.

Shaking his head no, the butler moaned unintelligibly.

"The one I cut up? Really?" Harry stood up. "Will you three be alright, I have to go see what he wants."

Thing gave a thumbs up after setting a biscuit in front of Luna.

Luna thanked Thing, then answered Harry. "I'm sure we'll all be friends."

"If you're going to write another message, use my new razor. I still haven't had a chance to see how sharp it is." Wednesday said as he followed Lurch out of the room.

-o-o-

 _Mister Black,_

 _I would prefer that you not address me by my hated muggle name, but it is an insult I can overlook so long as you do not do so in public. You may call me Voldemort, an honor that few share; I demand that most call me lord, or master._

 _As you can see, I appreciate your gift. Asclepius has become a better servant thanks to your tender care. He is rather thankful for what you have shown him as well. If I were certain that his results could be replicated, I would ask you to improve more of my men. Alas, I fear his is a special case, though a most welcome one._

 _Thank you for delivering the prophecy to me. For now I will believe you are being truthful, and as such, I agree to a cease of hostilities._

 _I once offered you a chance to join me, and I renew that offer now. If the prophecy is as I understand it, then together we would be unstoppable. I could show you power the likes of which most cannot even imagine._

 _Asclepius has been instructed to bring you to me should you desire, and to leave you unmolested should you decline. I eagerly await our next meeting, as we have much to discuss. I have a particular interest in your scar and similar topics._

 _So as not to upset the newly acquired peace between us, are there any whom you desire unharmed? Much as I would consider an attack upon my Death Eaters an attack upon myself, whom shall I consider off limits?_

 _Lord Voldemort_

-o-o-

Harry looked up from Voldemort's response. The Death Eater Asclepius that he'd nearly tortured to death was patiently waiting with a cup of tea in his hands. Even more out of place than the tea was the look of near adoration on the man's face.

Harry sighed as he rolled the letter back up, and slid it into his robes next to Wednesday's razor. Wednesday would just have to wait a bit longer to find out how sharp it was. It just wouldn't be fun at all if the man enjoyed it... Well, it wouldn't seem right at any rate. His thoughts wandered to running the razor across Wednesday's bare flesh...

Shaking himself out of his daydream, Harry turned to Lurch who was standing attentively against the wall. "What do you think, would anyone want me to put them on a list of people Voldemort promises not to try and kill?"

Lurch gave a short moan as an answer, and followed up with a longer one.

"I didn't think so, but you're right. Until Pubert is a little older, I should at least offer him a bit of protection." Harry agreed, then turned back to the Death Eater. "I'm kind of in the middle of something right now, so I'll have to decline your master's invitation. Give me a second, and I'll write a note for you to bring back to him."

Asclepius looked up, and a small smile started to form until he realized Harry was searching for parchment and a quill in an old desk next to the butler.

After a minute or two, Harry started to hand the note to Asclepius when he frowned. Noticing the Death Eater's silver hand, he took the note back, and added a few more lines.

-o-o-

Dumbledore, Mad-Eye, and Remus apparated in front of Grimmauld place with their wands drawn, just in time to see a Death Eater exit from the house. The Death Eater noticed them, and smiled before portkeying away. Horrified, the three looked to the open door to see Harry standing there with his own grin before he slammed the door shut.

"Bloody buggering hell!" Mad-eye swore. "Albus this is what I was worried about. No more pussyfooting around, we need to get in that damn house."

Remus couldn't help but feel both out of his depth, and even a bit scared as he noticed Dumbledore looked defeated.

Closing his eyes, and adopting a pained expression, Dumbledore agreed with his old friend. "You are right Alastor. We obviously cannot reason with him now. We do not have what we need to force our way in right now, but we must at the very least learn if the children are safe."

"While I was at the Burrow, the twins were the only ones there at the time." Remus said looking around searchingly. "I gave them the invisibility cloak I was using, and told them to come here and just watch. I made sure they understood not to do anything, so they should be around here somewhere."

"You're half right." One of the twins said as he seemed to appear out of thin air. "Fred's gone to follow the three that ran out of there earlier."

"Three?" Remus asked, worried. "There were five that went in!"

George counted off on his fingers. "Ron and Ginny came running out, along with Hermione. Fred chased after them to see if they were okay. Neville Longbottom came out after they'd all left, he just summoned the Knight Bus and left calm as can be. Although he did look like he had a lot to think about."

"What about the fifth?" Demanded Remus. "Luna Lovegood. Did she come out?"

George shook his head. "Sorry, she's still in there."

With a loud -crack- Fred apparated in several yards away. Looking around, he noticed them and jogged over. "Those three are alright, they just got majorly creeped out by some girl in there. At least that's what I think they were going on about."

"I think for the moment, we can assume that Miss Lovegood is well." Dumbledore said, relief apparent in his voice. "Given her unique way of viewing the world, she may not even realize there's something wrong."

"Right then!" Mad-Eye barked. "We can't do anything to help her right now, so the best thing we can do is make a plan to break through those damnable wards. One of you should see how Longbottom is doing, I'll keep an eye on things here." He snatched the invisibility cloak from George. "Give me that. It's mine anyway."

-o-o-

Luna decided to stay the night. After asking Hedwig nicely to take a note to her father so that he wouldn't worry, she joined the family for dinner.

"Thing seems quite taken with you dear." Morticia commented.

Luna smiled brightly. "He's so sweet. He's trying to make sure that I feel comfortable meeting all of you." The hand in question was perched on her shoulder, tapping out messages. "I'm not sure how he knew that I would understand Peruvian Rumplefeather tap language, but he's really quite good at it."

Nobody at the table batted an eye at her odd statement, but Morticia did offer the explanation. "He's tapping out Morse code dear, it's a way to communicate an American figured out over a century ago. A muggle I believe you'd call him."

"How clever of him, that does explain the accent." Luna said between bites. "I wonder if he was a squib instead of a muggle, I don't think muggles can see Rumplefeathers."

Morticia continued her conversation with Luna, with Pugsley joining in on occasion, showing interest in whatever unknown creature Luna mentioned. Meanwhile, Harry was holding his own conversation with Gomez.

"It looks like I've almost made friends with Voldemort now. I hope you don't mind, but I asked him not to try and kill Pubert. I said torture was okay, but he's a little young to be fending off outright murder attempts." Harry explained as he watched the toddler fending off Dementia and Fester's attempts to get him to eat.

Uncle Fester was trying to distract Pubert by putting a light bulb in his mouth, and making it light up by pressing his tongue to the contact. Dementia was trying to put food right in Pubert's mouth, but the three-year-old was fending her off with her own steak knife.

"You'd be surprised. Wednesday and Pugsley have been trying to kill him since we brought him home. The little monster is resourceful, and a lot more dangerous than he looks." Gomez fondly remembered the events of only a few years ago.

"That's right, Fester mentioned that Pubert killed his ex-wife." Harry said with a chuckle. 'Trust Lurch to be overprotective of his family with his suggestions.' He thought with amusement.

After dinner, Lurch showed Luna to one of the guest bedrooms, and moaned, "Goooood niiiiiight" as he shuffled off to his own four foot long bed.

"What nice people, they're so friendly." Luna said to the empty room as she drifted off to sleep.

-o-o-

Harry and Wednesday wandered off after dinner, and made their way to the armory. This time they brought a pair of candelabras with them, so they closed the door after entering.

"I didn't really expect any of them to accept the real me. Luna taking everything in stride is a pleasant surprise." Harry said, as he set his candle holder down by the door. "What did you do anyway, to scare them so much?"

Wednesday set her own candelabra down on a high shelf before sitting on a bench against the wall. "I told you, I was just being friendly." She smiled a wide toothy grin that by itself probably would have sent Harry's old friends running. "I also told them the story you told me about your first murder. They didn't seem to believe you were capable."

Harry thought back to one of the memories that Grandmama's potion has unlocked. Quirrell writhing as he burned where Harry's hands dug into his flesh. His laughter drowned out by the the screams of both his professor, and the shade of Voldemort. He hadn't blacked out from the pain like he originally thought, instead he'd been stunned by Dumbledore, and subjected to yet another memory charm. In hindsight, the false memory was probably why killing Quirrell hadn't allowed him to see the thestrals until after Cedric's death.

"They knew about that, well at least Ron and Hermione did. I guess you went into detail, and mentioned how much I enjoyed feeling his life slip through my fingers?" Harry surmised as he sat next to her.

Wednesday casually reached up, and ran a finger across the edge of an axe, disappointed at how dull it was. "Of course. The Brunette was particularly insistent that I was making it up. I think by the time you came back, she was nearly hysterical." She looked at him blankly. "You did say you wanted them to know the real you. If they can't handle a little thing like homicide, what hope is there?"

Laughing, Harry picked up a poniard, and played with how it felt in his hand. "I was planning on easing them into it, but I guess your way works just fine."

"What did it feel like?" She asked with interest showing on her normally passive face. "Killing him with your own two hands I mean."

Harry looked at her in shock, nearly dropping the poniard. "You mean you haven't killed anyone? I figured, well... you know."

"Oh I've taken life, just not so directly." She explained. "My first boyfriend was also my first murder."

She leaned back as she remembered a few years ago. "I started planning his death almost as soon as he took an interest in me. He was such a fragile boy, allergic to everything. He told me that if his mother ever used fabric softener, then he would die."

"Well that's cheating isn't it? It sounds like it was only a matter of time before he killed himself accidentally anyway." Harry pointed out.

"You're one to talk, mister my-touch-burned-him-to-death." She rebuked "Anyway, yes it did seem like cheating, which is why I didn't use one of his allergies. Instead I scared him to death."

She smirked as she remembered that night. "I set up a series of events, one right after the other. I made him scream so much that his weak little heart gave out, and he literally died of fright, just like a rabbit."

Harry thought about that as he tested the point of the weapon in his hand with his fingertip. He was rewarded with a bead of crimson welling up. "So, are you planning my death then?" He asked idly, as he held up his bleeding finger to the light, and remembered the last time the two of them were in this room. With a slight blush he added, "When am I going to see what you taste like anyway?" His eyes widened and his blush deepened as he realized what he just said.

"Is that your way of asking to be my boyfriend?" She asked, amused at the look on his face. Thinking back on the other day, she wondered just how far they would have gone if Lurch hadn't interrupted them.

She leaned forward as he blushed furiously, inwardly she smiled as she heard the poniard drop to the bench. "As for what I taste like, you aren't near good enough to cut me and find out." Inches away from him, she took his finger with her hand, and licked it clean.

He acted on instincts he didn't know he had, and also managed to not lose himself in embarrassment. Feeling the pounding of his own heart, he brought his mouth next to her ear, and whispered softly. "I disagree, but at least you know just how sharp your razor is now."

Feeling his hand brush across her side, she drew back. Her eyes widened in understanding and surprise as he held up his other hand. Her razor was held loosely with his thumb and forefinger, while his ring finger and pinkie were coated with blood. Her hand shot down to feel the now painful cut along her ribs. She opened her mouth to say something, but was completely speechless.

Despite his clear dominance in the situation, he was extremely nervous, and wasn't sure it was actually possible to blush as hotly as he felt he was. Gathering his courage, he flipped the razor closed, and set it down. "I think that is how I'm asking you to be my girlfriend." He said with a smile as he licked her blood off of his fingers.

Feeling her pulse in the shallow wound he'd given her, she felt so vulnerable. For the first time in her life, she felt scared. It excited her, and she wondered if this was what mother was talking about when she described how she felt about father.

"Yes." She breathed as she moistened her lips in anticipation.

Her blood tasted like pure magic. He felt a rush of energy shoot through him, and almost missed her agreeing to be his girlfriend. Emboldened, he felt the nervousness melt away, only to be replaced by a mad desire.

He grasped each of her wrists, and pinned her to the wall roughly. Forcefully kissing her lips, he pressed himself against her. He trailed kisses down her exposed neck, which caused her to gasp. He could feel her heart racing, and it drove him onward.

Wednesday felt helpless, even though in the back of her mind she knew she was stronger than him. The feeling of helplessness in the presence of his wild passion made her shiver in anticipation. Suddenly, the pressure forcing her into the wall lessened, and she was swung around. The two of them collapsed to the floor in a half-controlled descent. She looked into his eyes which were glazed over, and felt her arousal deepen.

Harry's mind was half in a fog. At this moment, there was only Wednesday and himself. Nothing else existed, nothing else mattered. There was something between them though, so he tore at it to remove it. He realized something was covering him, so he removed that as well. Nothing to stop him, he focused his attention wholly on her beautiful form splayed out beneath him.

Wednesday gasped as his hands tore open her dress, exposing her skin to the air. Her nipples hardened, and her breasts heaved with each breath. She ached with need as she watched him tear his own robes off. Within moments, he returned to her, and she felt his hot lips trail across her body. She all but screamed with pleasure when he reached her wound, and she felt his tongue run along it forcefully.

The way she writhed and moaned spurred him onward, and soon the final barrier was broken. Her screams and the intoxicating taste of her blood, drove him further.

Pain and pleasure intertwined, and she lost herself completely as he forced himself upon her. Too soon, he collapsed in exhaustion, and she quickly joined him in unconsciousness.

-o-o-

Morticia rolled over to look at Gomez in their bed as faint screams could be heard echoing through the house. "I wonder how long it will take him to realize she's not going to let him get away."

"If he's anything like an Addams, then he knew the moment he met her." Gomez said with a smile. "Of course, considering his whole memory thing, who can say?"

"It sounds like he's killing her." Morticia said with a smile of her own. "I'm so glad my baby girl has found such a nice young man."

-o-o-

Author's note: Things are heating up, and I'm not referring to Harry and Wednesday. There will soon be a clash between Addams, and Order.

To Lego Land reviewing chapter 4: You make a good point; however, he can't kill everyone, and Voldemort would be more trouble than most. He'll still do it, but only if he feels he has to.


	6. We'll fight fire with marshmallows

Author's note: Bonus points to anyone who knows where I got the title from.

As always, I love reading what you guys think, so please leave a review at the end.

-o-o-

Chapter 6

We're going to fight fire with marshmallows.

-o-o-

 _Voldemort,_

 _Feel free to send over any Death Eaters you'd like me to improve. I can't promise results, but my family and I will have great fun trying. Let me know first of course, I wouldn't want to commit a faux pas and 'upset the peace' as you say._

 _Sorry I'm sending a note instead of meeting with you in person, but now isn't a good time, I have company you see. Perhaps we can arrange a meeting here. I've told my new family about you, and I'm sure they'd love to meet a monster like yourself. Perhaps you could even learn something from them. I understand the Addamses come from a long line of madmen and psychopaths._

 _In fact, feel free to stop in for tea sometime this week._

 _I think the only one I'd like to ask you to not target for death is little Pubert Addams, he's a little young to be fighting for his life. Feel free to try and torture the little boy if you want, I understand he's fond of medieval torture devices._

 _Harry Black._

 _P.S. I want Pettigrew. I have no problem with leaving your other servants alone, but give me the rat._

-o-o-

Voldemort laughed. "Surely there isn't a seer alive that could have predicted the Boy-Who-Lived inviting me to tea. Did you see anything worth noting Asclepius?" He asked as he set the note aside.

"Yes master." The scarred man said as he lifted his eyes to the Dark Lord. "Black has a manservant that is like an inferius, only not. I am sorry that I cannot tell you more about the creature. Also, Dumbledore saw me exit Black's home. Mad-Eye Moody was with him, as well as another wizard I did not recognize."

At the mention of Dumbledore, Voldemort showed interest. "The manservant is unimportant. Possibly a well controlled zombie, but no more than a curiosity. Tell me, what did Dumbledore do when he saw you?"

Asclepius grinned widely. "He looked frightened master. Mad-Eye looked furious, and the other man was afraid."

"I am very pleased." Voldemort said with an inhuman smile. "We have three new recruits. Take them with you, and find a muggle family to play with. Make sure each of them tortures at least one of the muggles, and then show them how it's done."

"Thank you master." Asclepius bowed low, and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes. Then he set off to find the recruits.

Alone, Voldemort picked the note back up, and reread the postscript. "Why would he want Wormtail? He says he holds no malice for me, and I killed his parents. He does not ask for Bella, and she killed his godfather. What did he do that was so bad as to draw the boy's ire?" He asked himself softly.

-o-o-

Harry woke up because he was cold. Disoriented, he opened one eye, then the other. Wherever he was it was completely dark, except for a thin line of light outlining a door, and there was something soft pressed against him, pinning his arm to the floor. Bringing his other hand up to massage his forehead, he tried to remember what happened.

Fevered screams echoed in his mind, and images flew past as he recalled last night. He remembered cutting Wednesday while she was distracted, tasting her blood, and then... He felt his face heat up with a blush as he recalled exactly what they had done.

Harry's stirring woke Wednesday, and she took a moment to enjoy the pain between her legs that she'd never known before. He'd actually managed to take her blood, and it had done something to him. He'd become some kind of insatiable beast, a primal strength driving him. Just thinking about the wild look in his eyes caused her desire to flare.

The soft form of Wednesday shifted and disappeared. Harry sat up, and tried in vain to look around the dark room. The striking of a match drew his focus over to the bench they had sat on. There in all her glory stood Wednesday holding a re-lit candelabra with fresh candles. Setting the light on the bench behind her, she walked purposefully toward him. A halo of orange firelight surrounded her, making her appear demonic. Harry forgot to breathe as he watched her nude form approach him. He idly noted that her cut was nearly healed before his attention was focused on more interesting parts of her body.

As Harry tried to rise to meet her, Wednesday caught him in the chest with her bare foot. She forcefully shoved him back to the ground, and knelt down, straddling his stomach. "I want more." She demanded.

More than willing to comply, Harry tried to shift her weight so he could sit up and take her into his arms. He was quickly reminded that she was stronger than him as she pinned his arms painfully to the floor, and roughly kissed him.

Releasing his lips, she whispered into his ear. "This time I want to hear your screams." She said before running her nails along his arms hard enough to leave angry red welts. Unable to wait any longer, she placed both her hands on his chest, and shifted herself backward onto him. Biting back a cry of pain/pleasure, she dug her nails into his flesh, and raked them across his chest.

As her claws dug into him hard enough to draw blood, he failed to contain his own shout of pleasure, which served to encourage her. Illuminated only by candlelight, she writhed on top of him, a wild look of desire on her porcelain face. He threw his head back with another shout, as she further bloodied him with her nails. Too deep in the moment for words to form, a single thought made itself known anyway. She was his, he was hers, and nothing short of death was going to change that.

-o-o-

Morticia raised her hand to push open the armory door, when she heard Harry's cries from within. Smiling she turned, and walked down the hall to go see if his little friend was awake yet. She would give those two a while longer yet.

Being careful to make no sound, Morticia walked into the bedroom where Luna was still asleep. She was on her back, wearing one of Wednesdays nightgowns, with one arm haphazardly laying across the bed. Thing was fast asleep in the palm of her hand.

Morticia gently picked the sleeping hand up, and carried him out of the room. "Now Thing, did she know you were in there?" She asked softly, so as not to wake the girl in question.

Standing up in Morticia's hand, Thing scratched her palm nervously with one finger.

"I didn't think so. Thing, we do not enter a lady's bed without her permission." She chided gently. "Now go wake Pugsley, breakfast will be ready soon."

Re-entering the guestroom, Morticia gently woke Luna and informed her about breakfast. Then she set out in search of her daughter.

-o-o-

"There's no point in even trying to ask Gringotts." Bill said adamantly. "The goblins respect the Addams family. They will not help us take down the wards."

Kingsley Shacklebolt looked skeptical. "Are you being serious? I was under the impression that the goblins viewed all humans with disdain. Surely if we offer them enough gold they will aid us."

Many of the other order members voiced their agreement with Shacklebolt.

Bill shook his head. "No. I did some research, and if I didn't know any better I'd think they were afraid of the Addamses. That's ridiculous of course, back in the rebellions, lone goblin warriors were known to charge fearlessly to their deaths rather than surrender."

"There are other ways available to us. In fact I have already set in motion a simple and safe plan to rescue the children. Regardless we must expect to have need of a more direct approach. William, since you were part of the team that set the new wards, can you give us details of Grimmauld Place's defences?" Dumbledore asked. "You need not participate in bringing down the wards yourself. I would not want you to jeopardize your employment."

"I'll need to go over my notes, but I'll get right on it." The redheaded curse-breaker agreed.

"Time is working against us, so please do so now." Dumbledore said before turning his attention to Snape. "Severus, do you know why there was a Death Eater at Grimmauld Place? Are these Addamses allied with Voldemort, or are they Death Eaters themselves?"

As Bill left the room to prepare, Snape answered. "There is something going on, but what I could not say. As far as I can tell, the Dark Lord is only allowing two of his inner circle to have knowledge of whatever he is planning. Bellatrix Lestrange, and someone new." Snape sneered in disgust. "The man's name is Asclepius Fawley, and he is cut from the same cloth as Lestrange."

Mad-Eye grunted. "This Fawley, does he have an extremely scarred face?"

"He does." Snape agreed. "He also has a silver right hand, much like Peter Pettigrew now has."

"That's the man that we saw coming out of Grimmauld Place." Remus said, looking pale. "Whatever Voldemort is planning must involve Harry and that Addams family."

"Once William has recalled the details of Grimmauld Place's wards, we will plan an assault. Our main goal is the rescue of Harry Potter, and Luna Lovegood." Dumbledore said, his words weighed down with the dangerous nature of the mission. "It is likely that they are both being controlled in some fashion, so to be safe, whomever finds them should stun them immediately."

Dumbledore stood. "There are many unknowns still, so this will be dangerous. I will understand if anyone wishes to not participate. Those joining in the mission should prepare, and we'll meet back here at eleven."

-o-o-

Unable to find a more viable option, the Order was still meeting at the Burrow. As everyone filed out, Dumbledore and Mad-Eye opted to take a walk through the Weasley orchard for privacy.

His magical eye spinning wildly to ensure their privacy, Mad-Eye questioned his old friend. "Who wound up checking on Longbottom anyway?"

"I did, or rather, I tried." Dumbledore said with no little frustration. "Augusta wouldn't let me in. She said her grandson was perfectly fine, and I should be ashamed of myself for chasing after children when I'm supposed to be fighting Voldemort."

Mad-Eye frowned. "There's little chance she's gone dark, but then again, it worries me that she's protecting her boy from you. We'll have to keep an eye on the two of them just in case."

Dumbledore nodded. "Unfortunately she is enough of an occlumens that I couldn't dare to see what Mister Longbottom had mentioned to her that provoked such hostility against me."

Grunting, the scarred ex-auror changed topics. "We'll deal with that later, Potter is more of a concern. Breaking through wards, especially dark ones is no easy task Albus. Do you have a plan?"

"A vague outline at the moment Alastor. A plan will come when I have the details of said wards." Dumbledore admitted while unconsciously fingering his wand. "If one has the means, it is possible to overcome wards by striking at a weak point with overwhelming power. If such a plan in necessary, I will likely be exhausted from the exertion. You will have to take charge, and ensure Harry's capture."

"Why are we still playing to this fantasy that the boy hasn't gone dark?" Mad-Eye demanded. "Lupin is smart enough to figure it out based on what he's seen. It's only a matter of time before more people realize the boy isn't being controlled at all."

Sighing, Dumbledore explained his hopes. "With any luck, we will be able to capture the children, and fix this mess before the truth comes to light."

-o-o-

Morticia found Wednesday in her room, sitting at her dressing table, and brushing the braids out of her long black hair. She walked over, and stood behind her daughter. Taking the hairbrush, she took over brushing Wednesday's hair.

"How do your feel?" Morticia asked simply as she rhythmically straightened out the braids. "Your screams kept us awake most of the night."

Not embarrassed in the slightest at her mothers question, she replied with the barest hint of a smile. "It was just like you said it should be. I've never felt pain like that before, and the way he acted..." She shivered, and turned to look her mother in the eyes. "He scared me mother."

"I'm happy for you dear." Morticia said with a smile. "Harry is such a nice young man, so bloodthirsty too."

Wednesday turned back around to allow her mother to finish with her hair. "About that. Harry is so shy unless I provoke him enough, except... He managed to cut me last night, and as soon as he tasted my blood he changed. It was like he became a rabid beast intent on devouring me."

"Magic is in the blood, you know that. And our blood is special, our magic old and primal." Finishing her task, Morticia set down the brush, and sat on the unused bed. "In time, Harry will get more and more used to our magic. It's already begun in fact. Had he tasted your blood when we first met him, it likely would have killed him."

Morticia pierced her palm with her sharp fingernail, and held up the drop of blood that escaped. "There are not many old magic families left. The ones that have survived have become little more than just another magical line. It would not surprise me to discover that the Black family stemmed from old magic." She allowed the drop of blood to fall, where it ate away at the wood flooring. "The Frumps of course came from old magic, but the Addams are special. Addams magic has sustained itself throughout the ages by drawing in like-minded suitors. Our magic will... absorb, for lack of a better word, the person into the family. Some will, in time, become Addamses in all ways that matter. Others simply grow mad, and still others cannot handle our magic and die."

Wednesday voiced a question that had been in the back of her mind for a while now. "Is that why Cousin Margaret was so... wholesome when we met her, but now is criminally mad?"

"Exactly, and it's also why we feel the need to try and kill our lovers every so often. If they die, they clearly weren't Addams material. Take your little admirer from camp, he didn't last very long at all."

"But mother, I'd been planning on killing him from the start." She objected.

Morticia smiled. "Yes dear, but what would you have done if he survived."

"Tried harder." Wednesday insisted. "Besides, I haven't thought about killing Harry. Well, not seriously."

"Not on purpose perhaps, but remember, there was a very good possibility letting him taste your blood would have killed him. On some level I think you knew that, and let's not forget the absurdity of him cutting you without you letting him. He's good, but not that good." Morticia pointed out as she stood. "Now let's go to breakfast, no doubt your father is thoroughly embarrassing your boyfriend."

-o-o-

An embarrassed Harry was relieved to have breakfast interrupted by a couple of owls. Gomez had been relentlessly teasing, and playfully threatening Harry about his late night and early morning activities. Hedwig had a message tied to one leg, and a slightly crumpled letter in her beak. The other owl had ruffled feathers, and was glaring daggers at Hedwig.

The snowy owl dropped the letter into her master's waiting hands, then hopped across the table. Luna offered both owls a bit of her breakfast as she untied the message from Hedwig's outstretched leg.

"Hmm, my OWL results from the ministry." Harry said absently. "Is that from your dad Luna?"

Luna looked torn, as if she couldn't decide whether the note was good news or bad. "Daddy wants me to stay here for a few days if you don't mind. Someone sent him an anonymous tip about a herd of crumple horned snorkack in Sweden. Usually we would go on expeditions together, but daddy got excited and left without me." She looked up at everyone with a guarded expression. "Is it okay if I stay? Daddy said just a few days, but knowing him it could take weeks."

Seeing no objection from any of the Addamses, Harry answered for them all. "You're welcome to stay as long as you like. Friends are always welcome."

"Absolutely!" Gomez added. "Thing has taken a shine to you, and he's an excellent judge of character. Besides, with your knowledge of creatures, maybe you can tell us all about the playful critters we have running around the place."

Seeing her eyes well up with emotion, Harry recalled how important friendship was to the blonde Ravenclaw. "If you'd like, I can have my house elf Kreacher gather some of your things for your stay."

"That would be lovely, I can't wear the same robes every day." Her features settled back down to their usual dreamy state, albeit happier, and she idly watched the bedraggled ministry owl leave.

When Harry summoned Kreacher, the house elf came clutching two letters from Hogwarts. "Mail from Hogwarts. Owls caught by the wards, and Kreacher brings master the letters." The aged elf then lowered his voice and muttered, "Kreacher wonders if master will let Kreacher eat the owls. Filthy owls, up to no good."

"Kreacher, why were they caught in the wards?" Harry asked before accepting the suspect letters.

The elf stopped talking to himself, and answered. "Kreacher thinks they're portkeys master."

Remembering the portkey that whisked him away to the graveyard in Little Hangleton, Harry nearly laughed. Was Dumbledore copying Voldemort to find ways to capture him now?

"Put the letters on the table, then help Luna by retrieving some of her belongings." Harry ordered calmly.

"As for the owls, I don't care what you do with them." Harry looked around at everyone at the table. "Unless any of you have an opinion."

Grandmama Frump immediately perked up from where she was fighting with a book she found in the library. "Never had owl before. I'd love to see what I could do with one, and the elf is welcome to join us."

Both Luna and Kreacher looked horrified.

"Kreacher would never eat with wizards! Kreacher has his pride as an elf!" He then turned back toward Luna, and began muttering again. "Kreacher may as well be given clothes... Filthy creatures, frightening mistress, and insulting Kreacher."

Luna's objection had more to do with her love of magical creatures. "You can't eat the owls! You should let them go, it's not their fault they were given tainted mail."

Harry looked down at the letters, then over to his own owl, who was busy stealing morsels from Luna's plate despite Thing's efforts to stop her. "You know what, you're right Luna. It's not the owls' fault." A dark smile slowly grew on his face. "I'll let them bring Dumbledore a message of my own. Hey Pugsley, can I speak with you after breakfast?"

Pugsley's first instinct was to be wary. He'd seen that smile on Wednesday a couple of times, and it usually meant she had something painful and humiliating in mind for him. "Why?" He asked, drawing out the word.

"I'd just like your help sending Dumbledore a message." Harry said cheerfully.

"Okay." Pugsley said with a happy nod, completely forgetting his previous concern.

Luna, happy that Harry wasn't going to let the owls be eaten, informed Kreacher of where her home was, and what she wanted him to gather. The elf apparated away with a pop, and she turned her attention to the remains of her breakfast, thanking Thing for guarding it.

"It's alright, I probably wasn't going to eat it all anyway, but thank you for trying." Luna consoled the dismembered hand, and gently patted his wrist

-o-o-

Dumbledore and Mad-Eye waited patiently with wands drawn. The aged professor figured his portkeys in the guise of school supply lists should be arriving any minute now. If all went according to plan, both Harry and Luna would be appearing soon, and they wouldn't have to do a risky assault of Grimmauld Place.

"Do you really think this has a chance of working Albus?" Mad-Eye asked, skeptical of the overly simple plan. "The boy isn't exactly stupid."

"To be honest Alastor, I don't think it will work; however, it isn't out of the realm of possibility. Miss Granger always acted as Mister Potter's common sense. Without her counsel, Harry very well may fall for my trap. On the other hand, without Mister Weasley's influence, he'll likely be less impulsive." Dumbledore spared a glance at his old friend. "I haven't enough experience with Mister Potter as he is now to know for certain."

In that split second when Dumbledore let his attention lapse, the sound of air being displaced marked the arrival of someone via portkey. Instead of Harry, or even Luna, a reddish-brown shaggy creature with five distinct legs appeared in front of the two wizards.

The quintaped wasted no time, already riled up, it launched itself at the momentarily distracted Dumbledore. It's fur sparked with magic as a curse from Mad-Eye dispersed harmlessly. Another curse missing the vicious creature completely.

Crying out in surprise and pain, Dumbledore jabbed his wand into the beast that had clamped down on his leg. With a surge of magic, the quintaped flew back, Dumbledore's blood dripping from its gaping maw.

Figuring the other wizard to be easier prey, the deadly creature tried to down moody by swiping at his legs with its powerful clubbed feet. The peg-legged wizard couldn't maneuver as well as he once could, and crashed to the ground, swearing venomously.

Turning its attention back to the greater threat, it barred its fangs and tensed to leap again.

"Avada Kedavra!" Mad-Eye spat from his prone position. The green light flew from the tip of his wand, and struck the slavering monster, causing it to glow green for a moment before collapsing bonelessly to the ground.

"Alastor!" Dumbledore exclaimed in shock and outrage.

"Don't give me that crap Albus." He grunted as he pulled himself up and limped over to kick the dead creature. "It's a class five X dangerous beast. Trying to subdue the damn thing would see us both injured too much to deal with Potter later on. Besides, the unforgivables are only illegal to use on humans. You know that."

Grunting in pain as he sealed his wound with a swirl of his wand, Dumbledore admitted the truth of the matter. "You are not wrong, but I still find the use of those spells repugnant under any conditions." Testing his weight on his wounded leg, Dumbledore winced slightly. "I will have Poppy look at this after we've completed our extraction of the children. I won't need to be quick on my feet to bring down the wards, and it will keep until then."

A jet of flame from Dumbledore's wand immolated the monster's corpse, leaving a blackened patch of earth in the Weasley's backyard. Then the two made their way back inside to start planning the assault of the wards with Bill.

"So much for a safe plan Albus. There's a reason I always say constant vigilance, and it's not just to watch people jump when I shout it." Mad-Eye groused as he hobbled along.

Sighing Dumbledore agreed. "Yes Alastor, I am well aware that my own inattention is responsible for my injury."

-o-o-

"What was that thing anyway?" Wednesday asked with interest. "If we find another I think it would make a lovely pet."

Harry shrugged. "I don't know to be honest, I'm just glad Pugley found the little guy down here."

The couple were standing in the basement of Grimmauld Place, watching Puglsey try and pull himself out of the hole the quintaped had dragged him into earlier.

Pugsley had been spending time in the basement lately trying to catch various critters that had made the darkness their home. When Harry asked him if he had any ideas about sending a creature by portkey, the Addams boy had immediately thought of the playful five legged monster. Upon trying to catch the beast, it had retreated into a hole in the foundation wall. Pugsley had poked his head in to see if he could coax the furry critter out, but had been pulled in by strong clubbed feet instead.

After the sounds of the two thrashing about, and the pitiful yipping of the quintaped, the scared monster scurried out of its lair only to be held fast by Pugsley's outstretched hand. Harry carefully opened one of the envelopes, and let the letter itself fall to land on the creature, warning Pugsley to let go at the last second. As the portkey landed on the quintaped, it vanished, leaving Pugsley in the awkward position of trying to crawl out of a hole too small for his husky body.

"How did it even pull you in?" Harry asked as he relented, and grabbed hold of one arm while Wednesday took the other.

"How should I know?" Pugsley said with irritation, he knew that smile earlier would lead to his humiliation.

They pulled hard, and the stuck boy came free, bringing a portion of the stonework with him.

Dusting themselves off, the three teenagers headed back to the main portion of the house. Pugsley pulling away, eager to work on the other favor Harry had asked of him. This one was more his style anyway.

Once Pugsley was out of earshot, Harry nervously asked, "So, your parents don't mind that we..."

"Had sex?" Wednesday finished his question. "No, why would they?"

Harry thought about all he knew about relationships, and realized he really didn't know anything. For all he knew it was expected that dating couples have sex. It would certainly explain some of the rumors flying about Hogwarts, not to mention Seamus Finnigan's boasting. "I guess I don't know." He admitted.

The walked in silence through the dark, damp basement until Harry brought up her change in hairstyle. "I like your hair, it makes you look older, more beautiful."

"It seemed like an appropriate change. After all, I'm hardly a child now." She said simply, then she looked at him with a gleam in her eye. "Of course that doesn't mean we can't still play."

Seemingly from nowhere, Wednesday produced her dagger, and a thin red line appeared on Harry's cheek. "Tag, you're it." She said with the corner of her mouth upturned as she melted into the shadows.

Harry laughed, and drew his own dagger, disappearing into the shadows as well.

-o-o-

Keeping his injured leg hidden, Dumbledore addressed those who would take part in the mission to 'rescue' the two teenagers.

"Thanks to the efforts of Mister William Weasley, I have a clear understanding of how we can safely breach the defenses of Grimmauld Place." He pointed with his wand at a simple map of the house that had been laid out on the Burrow kitchen table. "Remarkably, a direct assault through the front door, is the safest route. I will overcome the most dangerous of the wards with brute force. The amount of magic I will need to use to avoid dire repercussions will render me unable to assist any further. I will only be overwhelming the worst of the wards, so it is likely this 'pain ward' will still be standing."

Mad-Eye took over, drawing different colored lines with his wand to indicate them spreading out once inside. "From what the youngest Weasleys say, the pain ward is just that, painful. We know it's there, so brace for it, and ignore it as you pass the threshold. Shacklebolt, you will take Jones and Arthur and go left as soon as you're in. Tonks, take the right with Diggle and Vance. Lupin, you're with me. We're going straight down the center."

"Once we're in, we don't know what will be waiting for us." Mad-Eye warned. "Stun anything that moves, and that includes the children. We can't be certain they're not imperiused. Remember, Potter and Lovegood are our only concern. Use your portkeys to escape if things get too hot, and remember to send out the signal if you've captured either child. A cannon blast charm for Potter, and a shrill whistle for the Lovegood girl. As soon as you hear both signals, get out of there."

Looking around the room, Mad-Eye asked, "Any questions?"

He was met with silence, all those present had stoney resolve etched into their faces.

-o-o-

The inhabitants of Grimmauld Place thought nothing of the entire house shaking, and ignored it, figuring either Pugsley or Fester was having fun. Frustrated with his inability to navigate Luna's house, Kreacher had returned to take the girl with him to gather her belongings, and as a result, neither were present. The only one there capable of understanding what had actually happened was Harry, and he was preoccupied at the time.

The front door blew in off of its hinges, and members of the Order of the Phoenix poured inside. Mad-Eye and Lupin were immediately confronted with the odd sight of the door standing upright in the middle of the entrance way.

The door slowly toppled toward them, revealing the imposing form of the Addams butler. Lurch looked at the two wizards, confusion evident on his face. Wasting no time, both wizards cast multiple stunners which caused the butler to fall backward, hitting the floor with a resounding thud.

After they had run by him, Lurch slowly picked himself up, and shrugged. He then picked up the heavy wooden door, and set about fixing it back in place.

-o-o-

Shacklebolt's team encountered Gomez and Morticia waltzing without music, completely absorbed in each others gaze. Calling for stunners from his team, the powerful auror instead summoned ropes to bind the two dancers. The force from the spells sent the lovers crashing into a glass cabinet. Upon seeing their successful hits, the three pressed on in their search for the children, completely ignoring the toddler who was playing off to the side. Arthur couldn't help but wonder if they were doing the right thing as from his point of view they had just attacked a loving couple with a small child.

"Querida, are you hurt? Is the glass tearing at your flesh as it is mine? My dear, are you in agony?" Gomez asked with a romantic tone.

"Mmm." Mortica moaned. "Oui mon cher."

They felt the ropes go slack, and looked down to see Pubert holding a large shard of glass.

Gomez grinned, proud of his son. "Well done Pubert!" He leaped to his feet, and pulled a rapier from its display on the wall.

"There are invaders in our home Gomez, our lives are in danger. Just think of the children." Morticia said while still lying among the broken glass.

"I know, just think what fun they'll have." He pulled his wife to him, spinning her into his arms, then held the sword upright in anticipation. "The game is afoot! Come my love, let us hunt." He exclaimed, swinging the rapier to point where the strangers had gone.

The two swept out of the room hand in hand. Pubert ran along behind them, giggling while waving his glass shard trying to imitate his father's swordplay.

-o-o-

Tonks and her team encountered a sight that would haunt them for some time. They heard a high pitched scream from a closed room, and burst in, fearing the Lovegood girl was being tortured. Instead they saw a sickly pale woman who'd been shaved bald, tied down to a table. A hideous looking man with a twisted smile and a mad look in his eyes, held a fireplace poker that glowed cherry red over the bound woman. The bald man matched the description the Weasleys had given of the wizard seen with Harry.

A sickened Dedalus Diggle cast his stunner a split second before the outraged witches cast bludgeoning hexes. Fester dropped the poker, and was blown through the door, and into the adjoining room.

Dementia shrieked in outrage at the interruption, but her cries were misinterpreted. Emmaline rushed to her side, and in a soothing voice said, "Shh, it's alright. You're safe now."

Once the witch had released her from her bonds, Dementia rolled off the table, and sprang back up with the fallen poker already in motion. Enraged at the strangers for stopping Fester when she'd been so close, she swung the still burning poker, and caught the witch that untied her full in the face.

A blinding pain, and Emmaline was face down on the floor. Her jaw and cheekbone felt broken, and she could smell burning flesh. Terror gripped her as she realized she couldn't say the activation word to use her portkey, and she whimpered piteously in both pain and fear.

Realizing their terrible mistake of not stunning everyone like Mad-Eye had demanded, and that Emmaline was seriously hurt, she called out to Dedalus even as she began flinging curses at the insane woman. "Diggle! Get her out of here, now!"

Dedalus threw himself toward the injured witch, and grasped her arm tightly. "Egress!" He shouted, and the two of them vanished.

Tonks threw curse after curse at the deranged woman. Soon Dementia was pinned to the wall, and held in place by the table which had been transfigured into several iron straps. Taking a moment to catch her breath, Tonks soon found her arms pinned to her sides by incredibly strong hands.

After he had finished coughing up blood from the savage hexes he'd been struck by, Fester had made his way back to his wife. There he saw the pink-haired witch subduing his Dementia. Fun is fun, but he was in the middle of something, so he grabbed the small woman, intent on kicking out the intruder.

As easily as she would move a quaffle, Tonks found herself lifted up, and carried back through the house. In the foyer a tall man, at least she thought is was a man, was re-securing the front door in place. Her view of the door disappeared as whoever was carrying her lifted her above their head, and threw her into the street feet first. This time through it, the pain ward caught her off guard, and as a result she landed poorly, breaking her leg and knocking her head on the street forcefully. With a groan, she reached into her pocket and said, "Egress." The portkey activated, and she was whisked to the Hogwarts infirmary.

-o-o-

Shacklebolt's team was having no luck finding anyone else since their initial encounter. Worse, they found themselves progressing at a crawl, as there was no light in the part of the house they were in. They were forced to rely on wandlight provided by Arthur, and the other two kept their wands ready to respond to any threats. Unfortunately, every attempt to light any of the torches or candles was stymied by a fowl wind that periodically blew through the halls, likely caused by some kind of mischievous poltergeist.

They turned a corner, and saw the woman they had previously subdued standing in the hall. She held a single candle, shielding it from the wind that blew ominously around her. Between her long dark hair blowing toward them, and the glow of the candlelight, she looked inhuman. She looked at them with a dark smile, and pinched out the flame with her thumb and forefinger. Without the candlelight, she melted into the shadows, and could not be seen.

A door slammed behind them, causing them to jump and turn around. Then the sound of little feet ran across the hall where they had seen the woman.

Hestia screamed, and fell to the floor. Her wand slipped from her grasp, and rolled out of her reach as some unseen force dragged her into the darkness. Flailing and kicking madly, she disappeared from sight, and soon her screams were cut off abruptly.

Before either wizard could react, Arthur screamed in pain, and crumpled to the ground clutching at his legs.

"Enough!" Roared Shacklebolt as he lit the walls themselves on fire to illuminate the hall.

The firelight revealed a young boy, a toddler, clutching a shard of broken glass. The glass was dripping blood, and it was clear the child had severed Arthur's Achilles tendons.

The man from before stepped into view behind the child. Holding his sword low he advanced. His wild eyes and manic grin were accentuated by the fire, and an icy fear gripped the auror's heart.

Surrounded and clearly outmatched, Shacklebolt swore, and grabbed Arthur as well as his own portkey. In an instant they were both gone.

-o-o-

In the Hogwarts Infirmary, Shacklebolt and Diggle rushed around helping Madam Pomfrey wherever they could. Both wizards felt immense guilt that they were unscathed, while everyone else was suffering.

Tonks sat upright in one of the beds, her injuries were minor all things considered, and she was furious with herself for allowing her team to fail so spectacularly. Shacklebolt's assurance that he fared no better did little to sooth her crushed ego.

Emmaline and Arthur were both in a forced slumber to allow Pomfrey's magic time to heal their more brutal wounds.

Hestia had thankfully been able to escape, but not before receiving literally hundreds of cuts all over her body. She had no idea what had happened, and gladly accepted the offered sleeping draught to escape the pain of everything hurting.

Dumbledore looked around sadly from his own bed. How had things gone so poorly? He had temporarily collapsed the wards, as was planned, and both he and the wards would take at least a full day to recover. This was expected, and accounted for. The resistance that the Order met inside Grimmauld Place was unbelievable though. The only hope he could cling to was that Alastor and Remus had yet to return.

Almost as if summoned, Mad-Eye appeared. Barely conscious, bound by rusty chains, and missing both his prosthetic eye and leg, the ex-auror lay beaten and bloody on the infirmary floor. His last words before falling unconscious were: "They've got Lupin."

-o-o-

Author's note: I'm sorry for the cliffhanger, honest. I just couldn't help myself.

I'm really looking forward to reading what everyone thinks about the Order's failed attempt to 'rescue' Harry and Luna. I had a lot of fun writing it.


	7. Torture and tea

Author's note: For some reason I've been having difficulty with the reviews actually being sent to my e-mail. Some have also been popping in and out of existence on the site itself. I try to respond to everyone, but if I missed you, it's because this website is screwing with me. Alternatively, if I responded to your review twice, I apologize. Technology hates me, and the feeling is mutual.

As much as I like writing this story for its own sake, reading your reviews is the highpoint of being an author. I love reading your thoughts, so please leave a review at the end after reading.

-o-o-

Chapter 7

Torture and tea.

-o-o-

"I see Potter." Mad-Eye said softly, and with a hint of confusion. He pointed straight down. "He's in the basement fighting with a girl. Looks like they're trying to cut each other to ribbons."

"He must have broken free of their control, we have to help him!" Remus exclaimed excitedly, and hurried toward the stairway down.

"Dammit Lupin, slow down it could be a trap!" Mad-Eye growled as he ran after him, his wooden leg thunking too loud for his liking. Casting a silencing spell on his leg, he picked up his pace so as not to get separated from the other wizard.

Being a werewolf, and far younger than Mad-Eye, Remus quickly outran the ex-auror despite the old wizard's best efforts. He'd lost nearly everyone he'd held dear, and he'd be damned before he'd lose Harry too.

Running heedless into the shadowy basement, he could feel the dark creatures all around, but he could also smell their fear. The creatures would not attack, they could clearly tell they were in the presence of a far more dangerous beast. He smiled darkly, normally that thought would depress him, but now all he cared about was saving Harry. His smile turned into a snarl as the scent of blood grew clear, Harry's blood.

There! Up ahead he could see Harry backed up against a wall, struggling for his life, straining against that bitch from before. She was slowly overpowering him, and pushing a knife closer to his face. His only thought was to get her away from him. As a result, he put too much power behind his banisher, and she was actually lifted up into the air as she was sent flying by his spell. A loud crash in the darkness told him she was likely out of the fight for now.

Remus skidded to a stop before Harry, and gripped the boy's shoulders. "Are you alright? Did she..."

He stopped mid-sentence, in shock, as Harry glowed red, and slumped to the ground. Mad-Eye hobbled over, slightly winded.

"What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing Moody!?" Remus all but shouted in outrage.

With his electric blue eye spinning all around, he ignored the question. "Where's the girl?"

"Over there, I knocked her away a little roughly, she's not getting up anytime soon." Remus gestured vaguely into the darkness even as he glared menacingly at Mad-Eye for attacking Harry. "Why'd you stun him? He was clearly fighting for his life, he's no longer under their control."

Once again ignoring the question, Mad-Eye settled his magical eye on the area Remus was pointing at. "No she's not. Keep your wand at the ready because I can't find her." His eye once again began it's wild spinning.

Confused, Remus spun to look where he'd banished the pale girl. Nostrils flaring, he tried to find her by scent, but Harry's blood masked all other odors.

"Alright, stay close. Expect her to get the drop on us." Mad-Eye said calmly, as though he was merely talking about the weather. "When she strikes, whichever one of us she doesn't get will hit her hard. Don't hold back because she's a kid."

The two wizards slowly moved away from Harry, neither one noticing him twitch.

-o-o-

Wednesday was upset. She had been about to win their game, and she had felt Harry's arousal as she pressed up against him, slowly forcing her dagger toward his cheek. The next thing she knew, she was flying through the air, and crashing through some of the molding furniture that was being poorly stored in the damp basement.

Letting her anger cool into an icy resolve, she let herself become one with the shadows. Remembering the lesson Harry had taught her, she made certain to not completely hide her presence. Whoever this intruder was, she was not going to let him know where she was until she sank her dagger into his heart.

Another strange man appeared, and hit Harry with a flash of red light, causing her boyfriend to fall to the ground. Shifting her ire, she made the peg legged man her new target. Hurting Harry was her job, and she was not going to let anyone else get away with it.

-o-o-

Harry felt himself get excited despite being about to lose spectacularly to Wednesday, again. He still pushed as hard as he could, trying to delay the inevitable as her blade crept ever closer, but he knew what her victory would lead to, and he was eager to let her claim her reward.

Suddenly, she was violently thrown off of him, and in her place, Remus Lupin gripped his shoulders. Frustrated, he couldn't be bothered with whatever the man was saying. He was about to start yelling at him, when he felt his muscles go slack, and the floor rushed up to meet him.

He could hear Professor Lupin arguing with... Mad-Eye Moody? He couldn't quite tell, everything was hazy. It was as if he was in a dense fog, and drugged as well. His body felt weighed down, and even thinking was difficult.

With what felt like a herculean effort, he grasped his wand, and managed to point it at himself. "Rinnvate..." He slurred, then tried again. "Rennvate..." Closing his eyes in frustration, he tried one last time. "Rennervate."

Energy rushed into him, and Harry felt fully awake and mobile once more. He saw Lupin and Mad-Eye in front of him. They were looking around, likely for Wednesday, and not paying attention to him.

He flung his wand up, and before he could say the incantation, a shield glowed brightly around the two wizards as Moody spun around. Harry grinned.

"Crucio!"

A jagged beam of light passed through Mad-Eye's shield as if it wasn't there, and struck the ex-auror full on in the chest.

Remus couldn't believe what he was seeing as Mad-Eye convulsed on the floor next to him. "Harry, no!" He shouted, realizing he had been wrong about James' son not being controlled any longer.

Remus raised his wand to re-stun Harry, when a delicate hand gripped his wrist with an unearthly strength. Ripping his arm free, he batted the girl away with his other arm. She was deceptively strong, but he was stronger. He turned his attention back to Harry in time to see a flash of red, then everything went black.

Having been released from the cruciatus, Mad-Eye tried to pick up his wand with a trembling hand, only to have a fresh spasm of pain course through his body. Through the pain, he saw the girl pick up his wand, and stare at it curiously.

"Snap it." Harry said, as he relented his torture.

If it weren't for the fire that danced across every one of his nerves, Mad-Eye would have grinned. He wasn't stupid enough to only carry one wand. Breathing heavily, he reached for his spare, only to feel the ground rush away from him, as he was sent tumbling across the floor.

"Constant vigilance." Harry said mockingly. "Isn't that what you always say? I'm not about to think you're harmless, not until your corpse has been cool for an hour. Even then, I think I'd dismember you just to be safe."

Keeping his wand trained on the no doubt still dangerous wizard, Harry watched as Wednesday approached Moody with a rusted chain she had found among the detritus. She expertly bound his arms and legs, then hoisted him up into a still sturdy oak chair she had also brought over. Using more of the chain to secure him to the chair, she nodded professionally, and moved on to tie up Lupin as well.

-o-o-

"My dear Bella, I have a question for you regarding your Aunt Walburga's home." Voldemort said, as he strode into the holding cell where she and Asclepius were playing with one of the new recruits. The unfortunate neophyte had refused to torture a muggle child during his initiation.

Both of his most loyal servants stopped what they were doing, and gave him their full attention. The distracting moans of the man who was chained to the wall were silenced as Asclepius jammed a filthy rag into his mouth.

Nodding his thanks at Asclepius with a thin smile, Voldemort gave some explanation before he asked his real question. "Intent based wards by nature require an incredible amount of power to work properly. It is my understanding that your aunt's home has such wards. The easiest way to reliably make intent based wards is to use blood as the base." He looked Bellatrix in the eyes. "Do you know if that is how your family erected them?"

"I-I do not know master." Bellatrix said, ashamed that she was unable to give him the answer he desired. "But I do know that I was never added to the house's wards. The wards never stopped me in any way. Not even when I visited just to curse my cousin." She remembered taking revenge on her blood-traitor cousin Sirius, for pranking Cissa and herself.

"It is likely then, that they are blood wards. Blood wards that will allow anyone with Black blood to enter regardless of intent." Voldemort said with a pleased smile.

Bellatrix's eyes widened in understanding. "Then I could just walk right in at any time."

Voldemort nodded. "Precisely, as well as Narcissa and Draco for that matter. Young mister Black has invited me to tea, and I intend to accept. I would like you to join me Bella. I need to make sure I have absolutely no intention of harming him, but you will have no such problem."

"Then we are eliminating him master?" Bellatrix asked to be certain.

"No, at least not yet." He explained. "I merely want you there as a precaution. If he is being truthful with me, then I see no reason why we shouldn't be allies."

With that, Voldemort turned to leave. He stopped briefly at the door. "Be ready to leave tomorrow afternoon." He thought for a moment. "When you two finish, hang this one's corpse where the new recruits will see it, as a warning for those less dedicated than their peers."

-o-o-

"Since you're here, I have a few questions I'd like answered." Harry said as he stood in front of Mad-Eye. "I'd rather ask Dumbledore, but I'm sure you'll know the answers."

Mad-Eye spat his defiance at Harry, who tilted his head to avoid the wad of bloody sputum. The feel of the butterbeer cap portkey that he'd spello-taped to his thigh was tempting him, but he would tough it out as long as he could to try and get more information out of Potter. Maybe even stall long enough for the werewolf to escape as well.

"Why don't you let Lupin go?" The chained man growled. "He still thinks you're being controlled. No reason to let him know just how dark you've become."

"Really? You spit at me, and now you want me to do you a favor?" Harry swung his fist down hard into Mad-Eye's jaw, then looked at his hand which felt as if he'd nearly broken it.

"Seriously Harry?" Wednesday said in disappointment as she took his hand and curled it into a proper fist. "Keep it tight, and make sure your wrist is straight. Like this." She demonstrated by slamming her own fist into Mad-Eye's gut, causing him to gasp and spit up blood.

Harry slowly tested out Wednesday's advice on the bound man's sides. Gaining confidence, he hammered Mad-Eye's ribs with increasing force. "Thanks, that's much better."

"Maybe, but you should stick with a knife." She said critically. "You hit like a girl."

He looked at her with an eyebrow raised. His eyes lingered over her more feminine attributes to make his point.

Wednesday rolled her eyes. "I am a girl, but I hit like a sledgehammer. You're a boy, and you hit like a little girl. Stick with the knife."

Harry huffed in annoyance, but decided to leave it for now. He moved to be eye to eye with the ex-auror. "I should have taken this first thing." He said as he ripped away the magic eye. "There, now you can't see me when I use my cloak."

"If you're through with your lover's spat, care to tell me why you've gotten all chummy with Death Eaters all of a sudden?" Moody inwardly cursed at the loss of his eye. That thing was ridiculously expensive, and commissioning a new one will take months. "It doesn't matter how dark you are, Voldemort will still want you dead."

All emotion left Harry's features, and he stared into the man's remaining eye. "At least Voldemort is honest about what he wants. I'd rather be tortured for months, and finally put to death after being reduced to a rotting shell of a man; than spend one more day as Harry Potter, Dumbledore's puppet, the fucking Boy-Who-Lived."

Wednesday placed a slender hand on Harry's shoulder, and leaned over so that her lips brushed against his ear. "Don't you dare let Voldemort do that to you." She lightly ran her tongue along his earlobe. "If anyone is going to torture you like that, it's going to be me."

Harry closed his eyes and shivered in delight at that thought. It took a great deal of effort to bring himself back to the task at hand.

Meanwhile, Wednesday took hold of Moody's wooden leg, and tore it free. She handed Harry the leg. "I've always wanted to see a man beaten to death with his own leg."

Laughing, Harry hefted the prosthetic. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. Not today anyway." He swung the leg down onto Mad-Eye's shoulder, causing the man to grunt in pain. "I want you to tell Dumbledore that if he sends people after me again, I'll send them right back to him, in several small boxes."

Harry whipped the leg around, and smiled as he heard the satisfying crack of the man's ribs giving way. "Then again, I only really need one of you to send a message to Dumbledore."

Harry slowly pushed the end of the wooden leg into the ribs he'd just broken. Moody grimaced and hissed, but refused to scream. No matter, if he couldn't find a way to make the man scream, Wednesday surely could.

Nothing more could be gained by staying. Moody drew in a breath to activate his portkey, but was forced to endure one final blow as his own leg smashed into his face. Spitting out a tooth, he wearily said, "Egress." He was most likely dooming Lupin to die, but he'd just add him to the long list of those that he hadn't been able to save.

"Huh, guess he had a portkey on him the entire time." Harry said, letting the now bloody prosthetic fall to the floor. "Lupin probably has one too."

"What does a portkey look like?" Wednesday asked as she started digging through the unconscious werewolf's pockets. "If I'm going to teach you how to beat someone properly, we have to make sure he can't escape."

Harry looked offended. "I didn't do that bad did I?"

She dropped the contents of Lupin's pockets onto the chair that once held Moody. "Maybe I'll chain you down, and really show you how it's done. We can have fun later though, what does a portkey look like?"

"Unfortunately, anything can be made into a portkey." He said, eying the odd assortment of junk from the man's pockets.

"I'm not stripping him naked." She said flatly. "Either you do it, or we just risk him escaping."

Harry did not look happy about that thought. "Ugh, I think I have a better idea. Kreacher!"

The elf popped into existence in front of his master. "Master calls for Kreacher?"

"You could tell that the letters this morning were portkeys. Can you tell me if any of this stuff is a portkey, or if he has one on him?" Harry asked, pointing first to the pile from Lupin's pockets, and then to the man himself.

The aged house elf leaned over the loose items, and pointed to a butterbeer cap. "That feels the same to Kreacher." He reluctantly moved to search the werewolf. "The filthy halfbreed has no portkey."

"Thank you Kreacher. Go back to helping Luna." Harry said as he dragged the entire chair further away from Remus, so the werewolf couldn't easily reach for it should he escape his bonds.

Kreacher vanished with a pop.

-o-o-

Despite her rather vocal objections, Madam Pomfrey revived Moody after only healing the life threatening wounds that the man had received.

"Thank you Poppy. Now I must ask you to give the two of us privacy for the moment." Dumbledore said with uncharacteristic sternness.

"Albus, he needs rest, you need rest. I should force you both to drink dreamless sleep potions, not let you overexcite each other." The matron exclaimed. She had half a mind to stun the both of them for their own good.

Moody spoke up, biting back a hiss of pain as he realized that his ribs were still broken. "This is important. Albus needs to hear my report."

"Very well, but If you cast anything more powerful than privacy charms, I'm locking your wand up until you've made a full recovery." Pomfrey said while pointing an accusing finger to Dumbledore.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye.

With a harrumph, she closed privacy curtains around the two stubborn wizards, and left them alone.

After ensuring their privacy with several charms, Dumbledore's features grew serious. "Is there any chance Remus can escape?"

"I doubt it. He was stunned when I got out." Moody said plainly. "I'm sure Potter is smart enough to make sure Lupin can't follow my example."

Dumbledore closed his eyes. Regret and pain evident on his face. "We were woefully unprepared for the capabilities of this Addams family. Do you have any suggestion on where we go from here?"

"Short of torching the whole bloody building with fiendfire, and writing off the lovegood girl as an acceptable loss... no." Moody fixed his remaining eye on his old friend. "Not that it matters anymore, but what was your theory about Potter and his cloak? The boy didn't know that I can't see through it anymore. The Addams girl was able to hide from me as well, she probably was using that damn thing."

"This information is dangerous my friend, and no one must know. It is especially important that Harry not find out now." Knowing that the ex-auror would guard the knowledge, Dumbledore continued without any prompting. "I have very good reason to believe that Harry's cloak is in fact the invisibility cloak from the legend of the three brothers. It is the cloak of true invisibility."

Looking at Dumbledore like the older wizard had finally lost his sense, Moody pointed out the obvious. "If it's one of the deathly hallows from the fairy tale, then why could I see through it before?"

"I believe the hallows are individually powerful, but only together become as perfect as they are rumored to be." He unconsciously rubbed his thumb along his wand. "Since they came from Death, they would likely grow in power as one becomes closer to death. Of course it is unlikely that Death is a real entity. I find it more believable that the three hallows merely were meant to work together, and thus augment each others power."

"You think he has another hallow?" Moody actually looked frightened for a moment. "You think he has the Elder wand."

With a soft smile Dumbledore shook his head. "No, I believe he has found the resurrection stone. I do not think he would hide behind the walls of Grimmauld place if he had that kind of power at his fingertips."

Moody blanched. "I think that's even worse. He's darker than you thought Albus. He used the cruciatus on me, and the look on his face... If that stone really exists, and he has it... He would draw back a man from the beyond just to make him suffer."

"All the more reason for us to reach Mister Potter one way or the other." Weary, he leaned his head back. "What about the rest of the Order? Should we maintain the illusion that he is being controlled, or shall we reveal the painful truth?"

"He may be dark, but he's being controlled too. That Addams girl has him wrapped around her little finger. He'd gladly cut off his own arm just for the chance to lick her boots." Moody mentioned with disgust. "We can decide later. I need to rest. I haven't felt this bad since I lost my real leg."

-o-o-

Remus awoke to see Harry sitting across from him. Harry was putting away his wand, and staring him right in the eyes.

"Alright, I have some questions I'd like answered. Hopefully you'll be more cooperative than Moody was." Harry said with a smile. "Otherwise I'll let Wednesday use you to teach me how to properly beat a man within an inch of his life."

Remus just past Harry to see the girl examining Mad-Eye Moody's magical eye. "Merlin Harry, what have they done to you?"

"I'll even answer your questions too, just to keep things pleasant. 'They' haven't done anything to me. Unless you count accepting the real me with open arms." Harry's smile grew wider. "Now then. What has Dumbledore been telling the Order about me? The information I have is second hand at best."

"You're being controlled by them Harry, it's obvious to anyone who knows you. Fight it! You're stronger than they are Harry, don't let them use you." Remus encouraged passionately.

Harry laughed and shook his head. "That's the exact opposite of the truth. Dumbledore was the one who was controlling me. I'm finally free now, this is the real me. Nobody is controlling me anymore."

"Oh? I'm not sure I would phrase it that way." Wednesday said, abandoning her interest in the magical eye. She walked up behind Harry, and whispered into his ear."

Harry's face turned bright red, and he gulped. "That is not what I mean, and you know it." He said, clearly flustered.

This didn't make any sense to Remus. He knew he had to be missing something. Earlier, the girl had been trying her hardest to kill Harry, but now they acted as if they were a couple, a very close couple.

"Harry, help me understand then." Remus pleaded. "All I want is to keep you safe, and I know I saw her trying to kill you earlier. What is going on?"

"She wasn't trying to kill me... well not seriously anyway. It was a game, um..." Harry started to explain.

Wednesday interrupted, knowing Harry was still too shy to get to the point. "It was foreplay."

"What?" Remus asked, confused.

Harry was glad that he couldn't blush any more at this point anyway.

"Foreplay." Wednesday repeated. "If you had shown up a couple minutes later we would have been having sex."

"Wednesday!" Harry cried out in embarrassment.

"You didn't think our game was going end any other way did you?" She asked. She needed to work on his shyness. Maybe mother would have some ideas.

"No, but... you don't have to... I mean..." Harry floundered for a bit.

Harry certainly didn't seem to have any of the signs of being controlled magically, and these Addams didn't really seem as dark as he had believed. Remus thought back to earlier, the large man in the foyer hadn't been aggressive at all. If he hadn't seen harry use the cruciatus on Moody then he would... but wait. Harry had used that unforgivable before. Remus' eye's widened as he remembered. One particular memory flooded back in an instant.

-o-o-

Remus felt his heart tear as the man he called brother, his best friend, was struck by the stunner. Sirius slowly fell through the veil, and vanished forever. His own pain was then shifted to the side as he heard Harry scream in primal agony at the loss of his godfather.

He was forced to hold Harry back, lest he follow Sirius through the veil. Eventually Harry relented, and slumped in defeat. The marauder let go, and tended to the Longbottom boy's injuries. Harry needed time more than anything now.

Terror gripped him as Harry leaped to his feet and ran after Bellatrix Lestrange. She'd defeated Shacklebolt as well, and was making good her escape. He screamed after harry to stop, but the rage fueled boy refused to listen. Cursing, he ran after the enraged boy.

Remus caught up to the two of them in time to see Harry holding Bellatrix under the cruciatus. A look of fury mixed with cruel enjoyment graced his features. Before he could react to the bizarre sight, Dumbledore appeared, and casually flung Bellatrix away from Harry's reach before stunning the boy. Then Voldemort showed up, and he could only watch in awe as the two titans battled in the ministry atrium.

After the battle ended, and Dumbledore once more patiently explained the return of Voldemort to a terrified Fudge, the old wizard portkeyed Harry away. Before leaving, the aged wizard approached him.

"I'm afraid Harry has had a trying experience tonight. Can I count on you to help me counsel him?"

Feeling numb, Remus nodded. "He used..."

"Yes, I know." Dumbledore interrupted. "Come, grasp my arm, and I'll pull you through the wards to my office. Harry is there now, and will need us."

They apparated in, and Dumbledore began talking as he put away various instruments on his desk, and replaced them with duplicates. "I'm sorry you had to see Harry like that. I've put in so much effort to prevent such things, but Harry does still have the occasional relapse."

Remus was completely confused. "Relapse? Sir, what are you talking about."

"Forgive an old man his ramblings." Dumbledore said as he replaced certain valuable books with copies as well. "Harry is... not well, and I need to ensure he is better before I can wake him up."

"I don't understand, you aren't making any sense." The old marauder tried to puzzle out what was going on, but the entire scenario was just too strange.

"I'm afraid you don't have to understand." Dumbledore said sadly as he pointed his wand at Remus. "Obliviate."

-o-o-

Putting all of the pieces together, Remus stared at Harry in shock. "You've always been like this... Merlin, what has Dumbledore done?"

Harry was shaken out of his embarrassed rambling. "He fucked with my mind, that's what he did."

Remus bowed his head. He had a hard decision to make. He owed Dumbledore so much, but Harry was the last family he had left. Then again, Dumbledore modified his memories of that terrible day. He couldn't trust the old man ever again. The choice wasn't really that hard after all.

"My name is Remus Lupin. I was a very close friend of your father. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you as you grew up, but I'm here now." He looked up at Harry's now confused face. "I'd like to get to know the son of one of my closest friends."

"Not that I'm complaining, but um, why the sudden change of heart, and why the introduction? I know who you are." Harry asked, bewildered.

"You know me, but I clearly do not know you. A reintroduction seemed appropriate." The werewolf grimaced in pain and regret. "I believe yours isn't the only mind that Dumbledore has toyed with."

"I was not expecting this." Harry said as he turned to Wednesday. "Do you suppose your grandmother would mind mixing up another batch of whatever she gave me before?"

-o-o-

Wearily, Dumbledore made his way up the stairs behind the stone gargoyle. He'd convince Poppy after waking in the morning, that he could rest his magic just as easily in his office as he could in her infirmary.

There on his desk lay a single envelope with the word 'Headmaster' written in simple block letters.

He'd consented to allow Poppy to put a monitering charm on him, so he couldn't test it for curses himself. Considering he imagined it was a message from Harry, he wasn't about to open it without such testing. Sighing, he walked to his floo to see if Severus was awake yet.

Five minutes later, Snape walked through the flames to assist his employer.

"I doubt that even under the circumstances, Potter has the capability of thinking up such a deception. Even one as simple as this." Snape surmised with disdain.

Nevertheless, the potion master cast charm after charm to detect all manner of traps. From simple jinxes to incredibly dark curses, the letter was completely safe. It didn't even register as magic in any way, and no poison could be detected either. Upon closer examination, what they thought was parchment, was in fact very thick paper.

"Thank you Severus. One cannot be too careful in these dark times." Dumbledore said as he lifted the surprisingly heavy envelope.

Snape watched as the headmaster broke the wax seal, and gripped the message inside. As the contents were lifted out, a soft click was the only warning given.

Acting more on instinct, than any belief that there was a danger, Snape near simultaneously banished the letter out of Dumbledore's hands, and cast a shield around the two of them.

The explosion deafened them both, and Snape's hastily conjured shield buckled under the stress. Most of the heat and force was absorbed, but enough broke through to send Dumbledore sprawling to the ground, madly swatting at his beard which had caught fire.

Snape seemed to escape harm except for scorch marks on his fireproof robes. Robes which he had begun to wear after that incident back in '91 when his robes somehow caught fire while he was trying to keep that Potter brat from plummeting to his death.

-o-o-

"Harry tells us you've spent most of his life trying to kill him." Morticia said as she stirred several drops of cyanide into her tea.

The absurdity of the situation was not lost on the Dark Lord. There he sat with his most trusted lieutenant by his side, having afternoon tea with the boy in question, his girlfriend, and her parents.

"I can assure you that I would have succeeded, had I known the entirety of the prophecy." It had taken some time for him to understand how these Addamses thought, but once he understood their values, knowing the right things to say came easily to the consummate Slytherin.

Gomez nodded in understanding. "Bad information can cause the best of us to fall. I believe that's what finally did in Great Aunt Calpurnia. How was she to know that minister didn't like women?"

"Yes, such a shame. She would have set that entire town down a dark path of hellish enslavement." Morticia lamented.

Wednesday turned to Harry. "She was my hero you know, I always wanted to die like she did. Burned alive at the stake, the heat melting the flesh from your bones, I was so disappointed to learn you'd pass out from the smoke first."

"Yes, as pleasant as this train of thought is, I do have a purpose for being here beyond social niceties." Voldemort said as he took a sip of his own tea. The poisons actually made the tea quite delicious. His foresight saw that he'd put himself through several rituals, which among other benefits, made him immune to nearly all toxins. Bella had no such protection, but she was a big girl, she could fend for herself.

Setting his cup down, he turned to look at Harry with his crimson eyes bearing down on the boy. "I hope you understand my reluctance to simply trust that you've been entirely truthful with me."

"Ah, of course." Hary said, setting down the pastry he'd been about to bite. The treat tried to skitter away on unseen legs, until it was impaled by Wednesday's fork, and pinned to the table.

Harry looked deep into Voldemort's blood-red gaze, and smiled. "Go ahead, I won't stop you."

The others looked on in interest as both wizards froze. Neither moved for nearly a minute. The only sign that something was happening, was the blood that started to seep from the scar on Harry's forehead.

Releasing his grasp on Harry's mind, Voldemort closed his eyes and brought his long pale fingers up to massage his temples. "I see. Bella, there will be no need for you to kill him. I do believe he hates that old fool Dumbledore more than I do, and he has been completely honest with us."

"Since we're talking business now, can we talk about the rat?" Harry asked, all humor gone from his features.

"Wormtail?" Voldemort asked, remembering the postscript on Harry's last letter. "Might I ask what that sniveling coward has done to anger you so much?"

Harry pointed at the Dark Lord. "You killed my parents." He then pointed to Bellatrix. "And you killed my godfather, but both of you were straightforward and honest about it."

Harry's face darkened. "The rat Pettigrew was a marauder. He was family, and he betrayed us all. He didn't even have the decency to stab my father in the back himself."

Morticia looked affronted. "That's horrible."

Gomez held his wife's hand to comfort her. "What kind of a maniac doesn't hold the knife himself when he slits his own brother's throat?"

Voldemort thought carefully about what usefulness Wormtail still had.

"If it helps, I'll tell you about the traitor you have in your own ranks." Harry offered.

"If you're referring to Severus, you are mistaken, I am his true master." Voldemort said with confidence.

Harry laughed. "I don't think he has a true master, but if you don't believe that he isn't working against you, then ask yourself this: Why did he alert the Order to what was happening at the ministry?" Harry asked with a smug grin. "If he had kept his mouth shut, they would have never shown up, and your Death Eaters would have eventually killed all of us. Well, I suppose they would have brought me to you alive, but my point stands. They only failed that night because Snape sent the Order to protect us."

Harry pressed on. "You can't even say he was trying to maintain his cover. If he never said anything, Dumbledore would have never known that Snape knew we had fallen into your trap. If he was truly your servant, he would have cheerfully seen us off, and claimed ignorance the next day."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed, but it was Bellatrix that responded, shaking with rage. "That greasy haired, two faced, half-blood piece of filth! I knew he couldn't be trusted!" She fell off of her chair to her knees, and begged. "Master please! Let me have him. Asclepius and I can keep him alive for weeks, screaming for a death that will not come."

Gomez and Mortica looked at each other, impressed. Even Wednesday had a touch of emotion on her face at the raw bloodthirsty display of mad zealotry.

"Regardless of your decision, I'd like to make another offer since you've brought my... cousin? I think?" Harry said as he watched Bellatrix beg for the opportunity to torture and maim the double agent.

Seeing the professional admiration in his family's eyes, Harry knew they would agree with his suggestion. "As I said before, I've given up the Potter name, and picked up the mantle of heir Black that my godfather passed on to me. That makes you family." He said looking at Bellatrix, who had paused to listen to his offer.

"I Imagine you've already learned that the wards here won't keep you out, but I'd like to make it official. You, your sister Narcissa, and your nephew Draco, are all welcome here. I also want to see if your sister Andromeda and her daughter Nymphadora would be interested. I know you've had your differences, but we're all family. I'd like us to all get to know one another, and if needed, you can kill each other right here."

Voldemort stood. "I think we have a great deal to think about now. Thank you for your hospitality, the lovely meal, and the stimulating conversation. Wormtail serves me out of fear, not loyalty. I see no real reason to protect him from you. Expect him soon, or perhaps Bella can bring him to you if she decides to take you up on your offer." He said, the polite and refined Tom Riddle showing through his inhuman visage. "Come Bella, we have plans to make now that we know Mister Black is no longer an enemy."

Bellatrix hurried after her master, and they both paused as Harry asked one last question.

"I nearly forgot. Can I ask a favor of you?" He asked hopefully. "Thanks to the Order, I've been forced to use my wand several times lately. I don't know why the ministry hasn't sent me an owl about it yet, but I'd like to know if there's a way to remove the trace before my seventeenth birthday?"

Bellatrix couldn't help herself, and laughed. "The trace only works in muggle areas, and it's on your wand. If you need to use magic out there, use a different one. I'm pretty sure Aunt Walburga kept a collection in her bedroom somewhere."

Harry looked to Voldemort for confirmation, and the Dark Lord simply nodded. "She's correct. I stole a wand in my second year, and used it all summer without consequence."

A pleased smile bloomed on Harry's face. "Thank you, that is very good to know."

-o-o-

Author's note: I've actually put quite a bit of thought on how the hallows work in this story. The only thing is, I'm not sure I can think of anything I actually want to do with them. I mainly just wanted an excuse for why Mad-Eye with his stupid magic eye couldn't find Harry when he was vulnerable early in the story. That being said, I have figured out how I want them to work if I do think up something good.

I wanted to get more into Lupin's fate, but I think the chapter would have wound up a bit long. I think I at least made it clear the direction I'm taking with him.

Am I being too mean to Dumbledore? I really am not intending this to be a Dumbledore bash, but it seems to just be happening that way.

To Mizu reviewing chapter 6: I hope Lupin's reactions haven't disappointed you.


	8. Wherewolf? There wolf

WARNING: Just in case anyone has missed that this story has adult content, there is a sex scene toward the end of this chapter, or it could be a fight scene. It's hard to tell with those two.

Author's note: Alright then, several reviewers have helped me realize my concerns over hurting Dumbledore too much are downright silly. To be honest, I'm not sure what I was thinking considering a major theme in this story is torture. I blame lack of sleep, and your conspiracy of choice.

As of writing this note, this story has 666 favorites. I can't help but think that's a rather appropriate milestone don't you? As always, I love reading what everyone thinks, so leave a review at the end of the story.

-o-o-

Chapter 8

Werewolf? There wolf.

-o-o-

Remus ached all over. It was similar to how he felt around a full moon, but thankfully not as painful. He opened his eyes to see a crib... no, a toddler bed. At least, that's what it resembled. Oh it looked like any other small child's bed, except there was barbed wire wrapped around the bars. Upon closer inspection, what he thought was a teddy bear, was much more frightening. It was still a stuffed bear, but the toy's gaping maw held rows of very real, sharp teeth. The toy had claws as well, and what looked to be blood stains in its fur.

He realized that he could not move. His arms and legs were stretched out, and he was chained to an arching surface. Looking around the room revealed all manner of medieval torture devices. There was a broken iron maiden laying on the floor, with an assortment of crude looking tools piled inside of it. He couldn't figure the purpose of the tools, but he decided he really didn't want to know. There was a wooden table that had obvious blood stains in addition to the leather straps meant to secure a man.

Hooks, chains, and pieces of equipment that he could only guess what their purpose was, all served to unnerve Remus. He jerked his head toward the door when he heard it creak open, and there stood Luna Lovegood. Relief flooded into him. Both knowing that she was okay, and that she was walking around freely, made him worry less about being surrounded by such gruesome contraptions.

She skipped over to stand in front of him, and cocked her head to the side. "Good afternoon Mister Lupin. You've been asleep a while, I hope you're not ill."

She looked to her shoulder, where a severed hand sat rapidly tapping on her collar. "Hmm? I suppose you're right, go ahead and tell him."

Luna smiled serenely as the hand leaped to the floor, and scurried away rapidly. Remus was starting to wonder what exactly was in that potion they had made him drink. "Thing is going to get Harry now. He's so helpful."

"Harry?" Remus asked, testing his voice out.

"No silly, Thing." She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Well, Harry is helpful too, but we weren't talking about him."

"Thing? Luna, what are you talking about?" Remus knew the girl had a unique outlook on life, but this was weird even for her. Come to think of it... "For that matter, why are you here anyway?"

"Yes, Thing. He's my friend, he just left. Weren't you paying attention? And I'm here to see if you're awake yet, which you are, so Thing went to fetch Harry." She leaned closer to get a better look at the chained man. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? This is all fairly simple to understand."

"Luna..." Remus said in exasperation, then decided to just let it be and move on. "Can you at least let me down?"

"Of course." She said cheerfully, but made no move to release him.

Remus closed his eyes, and counted to ten. "Will you let me down?"

"Grandmama Frump said that there's no telling what you will remember, or who you'll be when you wake up." She said while shaking her head slowly. "So Harry chained you up just in case."

She frowned, and her eyes grew cold and hard. "These are some of the nicest people I've ever met, and your silly Order attacked them. I thought Professor Dumbledore was nice, but after what happened yesterday I think I've changed my mind."

"We all thought Dumbledore was a nice old man." Harry said as he walked in with Thing trailing behind. "I think it has to do with that twinkly thing he does with his eyes, he just seems so grandfatherly."

Harry picked up a simple wooden stool, and set it before Remus. "You might not want to stay." He said to Luna. "If he turns out to have been lying, things could get a little messy. I know you have a soft spot for magical creatures and beasts."

"It's okay Harry, Mister Lupin is more wizard than werewolf anyway." She said as she picked up Thing and set him back on her shoulder. "We'll still leave though, Thing wanted to show me a room that he and Pugsley found earlier. They don't know what any of the creatures inside are, so I promised I'd help."

They watched her walk away as Harry sat down facing Remus. "She really is a sweet girl, but she has a lovely mean streak if you hurt her friends." Harry commented idly.

"So, Remus." Harry said, clapping his hands together. "Before we get started I have a question that's been bothering me for weeks now. Why didn't I get an owl from the ministry about underage magic when I hexed that stupid thief who was watching Privet Drive?"

"It's really uncomfortable up here Harry, can't you at least let me down?" Remus asked hopefully.

Harry shook his head. "You're welcome, but no. Answer my questions, and I'll either let you down, or kill you."

This was not what Remus had in mind when he decided to help Harry, but surely Harry was just bluffing with the threat... right? "With all of the chaos at the ministry, Professor Dumbledore managed to get your infraction swept under the rug. I suppose you'd like to also know why you haven't gotten an owl for the spells you used against Mad-Eye and myself?"

"No, I've learned from another source about how the trace actually works." He pulled out a wand that was clearly not his own, and held it up. "Just to be safe, I'm using this wand that I found in Mrs. Black's room. You know, where Sirius kept Buckbeak. I'm not sure what it's made of, but it seems to work for me well enough... Wait, what chaos at the ministry? Surely they've taken care of the mess we made by now."

"Fudge got kicked out of office." Remus explained. "There's always a little confusion when a new minister settles in. Rufus Scrimgeour, the former head auror, was sworn in not too long ago. The former head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was expected to be the next minister, but she was murdered by Voldemort himself."

"Hmm, good to know I suppose. Well, my other questions can wait." Harry leaned back, and looked up into Lupin's eyes. "What do you remember now, what memories did Dumbledore not want you to have?"

-o-o-

"Mother?"

"Yes Wednesday?" Morticia turned from where she was feeding a venomous tentacula she'd found Pubert playing with. Occasionally she'd swat it when it tried to bite her.

Gomez was nearby, trying to teach Pubert how to use matches.

"I was wondering if you had any ideas about how I can get Harry to stop being so shy." She said as she watched her littlest brother light her father's pant leg on fire. "Is that why the Hallway to Lurch's room is charred and covered in soot?"

Morticia glanced over as her husband smoothly put out the fire by smothering it with his hand. "No, that's just your father playing. The guests we had the other day lit the hallway on fire before they ran away."

Morticia sat at a small table, and motioned for her daughter to join her. "Now, what's this about Harry being shy? I thought your relationship was going well, if the screaming is any indication."

Wednesday sat and talked as she watched Pubert begin to eat the matches instead of light them. "It is, except his blushing is starting to get annoying. It was amusing at first, but now it's just frustrating."

"Ah, I see." She paused in thought as Gomez walked over to join the conversation. Pubert was left to play with the matches by himself.

"I'll have a talk with him." Gomez said with confidence. "Have patience with Harry, he didn't have the stable, loving upbringing we've given you three."

Pubert burped, and a fireball lit up the room. Everyone looked over to see the toddler laughing and clapping. Next to him stood a half empty bottle of some kind of alcohol.

"Gomez!" Morticia exclaimed, clearly upset.

Gomez rushed over to take away the bottle of liquor. "Whoops, I don't know where he found that." He rummaged around in a drawer for a moment, and produced a bottle completely covered with warning lables. "There we are, gelled gasoline. That's much better."

-o-o-

Dumbledore awoke to find himself back in the infirmary. He sat up, pleased to note that his magic felt back to where it should be. Although, his face was cold for some reason.

"Next time I'm confining you here whether you like it or not Albus." Madam Pomfrey said brusquely. "At least you had the good sense to have Severus help you. If it weren't for his actions, you might have lost more than just your beard."

He reached up to find his aged face smooth and hairless. Then he remembered the explosion. "My office! Poppy, I need to see the damage. I have irreplaceable items that may have been damaged."

After waving her wand over him, she relented. "Very well, but if you come back with another injury today, I'm making sure your beard never grows back! Take your time getting there Albus. The damage is done, running through the halls like an eleven-year-old will do you no good."

Despite her wise words, Dumbledore all but ran to see what he had lost.

Except for where Snape's shield protected a few bookshelves, the entire office was covered with black soot. Charred shelving was everywhere, and nearly all of the books were ruined. His desk having been at the center of the explosion was nothing more than a pile of broken and blackened wood. The silver instruments he kept on the desk were partially melted, and bent beyond repair.

"Be certain to say 'thank you' to Severus for me." The sorting hat said from its perch on one of the undamaged shelves. "The former headmasters all have other portraits they ran to, and the bird hardly even noticed the blast. I would have been little more than ash."

The hat shifted slightly and brought up the topic it asked about at least once a year. "Now will you consent to adding those fireproofing and various other protection charms? I've been around for nearly a thousand years, and I'd like to remain for at least a thousand more."

Lamenting the loss of so many priceless tomes, Dumbledore took a moment to respond to the hat. "You know that it isn't that simple. The enchantments on you are already extensive. Layering over them could have unforeseeable results. I very well could destroy you by adding something as simple as a flame resistance charm."

The hat harrumphed, and sat in silence as Dumbledore sifted through the damage to find anything salvagable. His face blanched as he noticed the cabinet that stored his pensieve was ajar.

Flinging the doors open revealed a complete mess. The explosion had caught the inside on fire, and nearly all of the phials containing memories had cracked or shattered. A quick glance was all he needed to tell that the memories he'd been reviewing to find clues about Voldemort's horcruxes, were all destroyed.

He slumped to the floor, ignoring the cloud of soot that billowed up. The pensieve was nearly indestructible, the cabinet itself was extensively enchanted as well, but the phials weren't magic at all. Had the cabinet doors been closed, there would have been no damage. Unfortunately, he'd been reviewing memory after memory recently, and had not properly secured the cabinet upon finishing his last viewing.

He could not see how things could get any worse at this point.

-o-o-

"It turns out Remus here has been trying to be a responsible uncle since my parents were killed." Harry gestured toward the uncomfortable looking werewolf with his fork. "Dumbledore just didn't want him around to see what a little monster I was."

Dinner time as usual involved the entire family, and Remus was ill at ease with both the unique food, and the, well, unique family. The only part of the entire scene that felt normal was Miss Lovegood cheerfully chatting away with a boy her age; however, the severed hand joining in the conversation with wild gestures spoiled the image. Inwardly he sighed, if Miss Lovegood was the most normal sight here, he was well and truly 'through the looking glass' as the muggles might say.

"What would you have done if you'd been a part of his life from the start?" Dementia asked while spearing a portion of her meal that was trying in vain to escape.

Remus looked at the woman who closer resembled a skeleton than a living person. "Um, I suppose I would have tried to see if I could curb his more... disturbing tendencies, but I never would have tried to modify his mind."

Gomez laughed. "Yes, we all need a loving family to guide us, and restrain our odd behavior." He pointed at himself. "Why, it took mother three years to get me addicted to cigars."

"Yes... well, I also would have done my best to improve his living conditions." Remus looked apologetic. "Even if Dumbledore hadn't kept me away, I still wouldn't have been able to take him in myself. The anti-werewolf laws have always been somewhat restrictive... They've since gotten much worse."

Morticia looked up from where she was trying to get Pubert to eat his dinner, and not his plate. "Anti-werewolf laws? That doesn't sound right at all. Werewolves are wonderfully violent, dangerous creatures. They really should be trying to make more, not restrict the ones we have."

"There's a full moon coming up soon, you should spend that night here." Gomez said firmly. "We won't take no for an answer now. Right Harry?"

"It's a good idea Remus. I know you have difficulty finding places to spend your time transformed." Harry agreed.

"So long as you all are aware of the danger. I can't afford the wolfsbane potion." Remus was not looking forward to another full moon completely alone, he'd gotten used to the company of Sirius. Besides, he wasn't sure his rented shack could even hold him anymore. His last transformation had been rough, and he'd nearly escaped.

Considering the matter resolved, Harry went on to describe the other major holes in the werewolf's memory. "My third year at Hogwarts must have driven Dumbledore crazy. He kept having to cover up the effect dementors have on me."

"Ooh I've heard of those!" Grandmama Frump said with interest. "They're supposed to make you relive all of your worst memories. Moments of pain and suffering replaying again and again." She closed her eyes, and shuddered with a smile.

"Yes, I was surrounded by them while playing quidditch. I got so absorbed in the memories that I forgot to keep a grip on my broom." Harry smiled in fond remembrance of the dark creatures. "Dumbledore managed to convince the school that I fainted out of fear. Remus was the only one who kept figuring out that I was enjoying the exposure."

Remus again looked uncomfortable. "Well, I was trying to get to know the only son of one of my best friends. I tried to keep a close eye on you. Dumbledore had me teach Harry a charm to ward off the dementors. Once he mastered it, the charm helped reinforce the modifications Dumbledore made to Harry as well." Remus gave up on his dinner, and set his utensils down. "I can't say I understand you now Harry, but I won't abandon you, or try to change you; however, I'm not going to lie, you frighten me... You all do."

That statement produced far to many smiles for the werewolf's liking. "I think I should be going now. I feel I should process all of this alone. One thing for certain, I'm washing my hands of the Order."

Remus stood to leave. "Thank you for your... hospitality, I'll see myself out."

After they watched Remus leave in somewhat of a hurry, Wednesday turned to Harry. "Are all werewolves like him?"

"No." Harry shook his head sadly. "He fights to be more wizard than wolf. From what I understand, there's a whole pack of werewolves out there somewhere that revel in their feral nature."

-o-o-

After dinner, Gomez took Harry aside. "Harry, I understand you never really had any sort of parental guidance, so I'd like to give you some advice on women."

"Um... okay..." Harry just knew he was going to regret this conversation.

"Women are vain creatures Harry. Even strong, willful women like Morticia and Wednesday need to know they are desired." Gomez said as he led Harry away from the rest of the family.

Feeling embarrassed already, Harry tentatively asked, "Are you sure you want to be the one to talk to me about this sort of thing? I mean... well... I am dating your daughter."

"Of course!" The older man wrapped one arm around Harry's shoulders, and jabbed the boy's chest with his free hand. "This right here is part of the problem I want to help you with. How can you show the woman you love how you feel, if you're embarrassed about it?"

"Love?" He knew intellectually what Gomez meant, and judging from what the other guys at school would talk about, he should be embarrassed or denying that statement. That particular emotion was just so unknown to him. Dumbledore had tried to instill it within him, but much of that was all hollow and fake.

Gomez realized that Harry was lost in thought. Either that, or the boy was scared in the way a mouse is unable to run from a snake. For both Harry's sake and Wednesday's, Gomez hoped it was the former. "Yes, love. It's a powerful driving force. Tell me Harry, would you kill for her?"

"Of course, what kind of a question is that?" Harry said instantly as he was shaken out of his contemplation.

Gomez held Harry out at arms length by gripping his shoulders, and looked him in the eyes. "Would you die for her?"

Harry looked confused. "Well yes, but I'd die for any of you as well."

"Would you endure any torture, face any foe, suffer any indignity, just to be with her for one more day?"

Harry thought about it. The idea of leaving the Addamses was unappealing, but the thought of leaving Wednesday... He couldn't even bring himself to imagine it. "Yes."

"Then you love her! You need to show her that!" Gomez tightened his grip on Harry's shoulders. "The blood flowing through your veins should boil with desire, not fill your cheeks with a rosy glow."

An intense fire blazed within Gomez's eyes. "If you're embarrassed, then you're hesitating. Don't hesitate. Act!"

Seeing a spark ignite within Harry's own eyes, Gomez released him. "You should never be embarrassed of anything you want, or anything you do."

"The world labels us as psychopaths, amoral degenerates." Gomez lit a cigar, and smiled. "I say they're right. We do what we want, whatever we desire. We hold nothing back. That is what it means to be an Addams!"

Walking away to let Harry contemplate his advice, Gomez gave one last encouraging statement. "Let go Harry, you're one of us."

-o-o-

Augusta Longbottom stared down the end of her nose at the bedraggled Remus Lupin. "I already told Professor Dumbledore to leave us be. I wouldn't let him near my grandson, what makes you think you will fare any better?"

"I haven't been sent by Dumbledore Madam Longbottom." Remus ran a hand through his hair as he sighed. "Truth be told, I want to compare notes with your grandson. I've just come from a visit with Harry, and I need someone to talk to about what I've learned."

"And what exactly have you learned about young Mister Black?" She asked guardedly. After Neville had warned her of Dumbledore's manipulations, she was taking no chances with any of his associates.

"Mister Black?" Remus looked confused, then thoughtful, then finally resigned. "I suppose that does make sense. His name change didn't come in our conversation. I'm worried about Harry, but I'm more worried about what Dumbledore has done to Harry. Myself as well for that matter."

She cocked her eyebrow at that last statement. "I'll make this simple for you Mister Lupin. If I told you that I knew a way to turn Mister Black back into the Mister Potter that he was before this summer, what would you say?"

"That I wish it was that simple." Remus said, understanding he was being tested. "What I learned, and what I imagine you are fishing for, is that Dumbledore has tampered with Harry's mind. As much as I would like Harry back as he was, it would be wrong to do so."

They stood in silence as she considered his answer. "Very well. You may talk with Neville, but I will be part of this conversation. My grandson has not told me all that has been weighing on his mind, and I would like to know more than the fact that Mister Black has changed, and Professor Dumbledore is at fault."

-o-o-

Harry thought carefully about what Gomez had said to him, and once he came to terms with everything the man had said, he set out to find Wednesday. A task which proved more difficult than he anticipated.

After asking everyone else, and searching everywhere he could think of, he eventually gave up and headed for his bedroom. He would have to find her in the morning.

He walked into his room, and over to his bed. He removed his outer robes, and tossed them off to the side. As the robes landed on the back of a chair, he heard the door shut behind him. He smiled.

"I was looking all over for you." He said as he turned around.

With one hand still on the door, Wednesday stood there clutching her dagger. "I was here, waiting for you. I want to continue where we left off, before we were interrupted."

She stalked toward him, a predatory gleam in her eyes, and a small smirk on her lips.

'Let go.' The words echoed in his mind, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do. In one smooth motion, he drew his wand and fired off the spell he knew best. "Expelliarmus!"

Wednesday was unprepared for the addition of Harry's wand to their playtime, and failed to react fast enough. The jet of red light struck her, and her dagger flew high into the air, across the room, and into Harry's waiting hand. Eyes wide, she hesitated for only a tiny moment before she darted to the side to avoid the second spell he sent her way.

The bedroom was lit well enough to not allow Wednesday the shadows she needed for stealth, so Harry could easily see her lithe form rush toward him. Seeing her however, was not the same as being able to hit her, and there was not much distance for her to travel.

She crashed into him, gripping each of his wrists, and driving him back. His legs hit the bed, and he fell backward onto it with her on top. "I hope you didn't actually think your little stick would give you an advantage?"

"Maybe just a bit." He admitted, straining to shift his wand toward her. Then he smirked as an idea crossed his mind. "Accio chair!"

The chair that he'd tossed his robes onto, flew toward them, and slammed into Wednesday. Since she refused to release her grip on him, the result was both of them tumbling to the floor. Both knife and wand went sliding across the floor, but Harry wound up on top of Wednesday, pinning her down.

Taking advantage of his better leverage, he wrenched himself free of her grip, and for the smallest moment, he wanted to try to recover his wand. The chair however, had split open Wednesday's lip, and that proved to be a far more enticing prize than his wand.

Even as he fought her attempts to recapture his arms, he leaned down, and kissed her with fervor. His reaction to the taste of her blood intermingled with her kiss, increased his desire. Their kiss deepened, but then he drew back to look her in the eyes.

His tolerance for her blood had already increased. Instead of the glazed mad look he'd had before, his eyes smoldered with unrestrained passion, and her pulse quickened at the sight. She wanted him. She wanted his badly, but tonight she wanted him to submit to her even more.

Giving up on grabbing his wrists again, she took hold of the collar of his inner robes, and jerked hard to the side. Using the momentum, she reversed their positions, and began assaulting his clothes. Upon opening his robes, she ran her nails across his bare chest. Relishing the sound of him hissing with pleasure, she grinned.

Wednesday gripped his shoulders, and leaned back, pulling him upright. Straddling his lap, she pulled his robes down around him, essentially trapping his arms in the tangled fabric. Then she shoved him back to the floor.

Harry had no idea what was happening as she tossed him around like a ragdoll. He struggled to pull his arms free, as she hitched her skirt up past her knees. She moved forward, and he soon discovered that she wasn't wearing any knickers.

Leaning back, she clamped her hands onto his wrists once more, both for support, and to prevent him from freeing his arms. Wednesday soon shuddered with delight, and she moaned despite herself. Apparently Harry knew what he was supposed to do without any further prompting. Before long, her body tensed, and shook. With a scream, the firm grip she had on his wrists faltered, and she collapsed bonelessly.

For perhaps the first time since he'd learned of his ability, Harry was very glad he was a parselmouth. It had added benefits that never would have occurred to him before today. He finally managed to pull his arms free, and he pushed Wednesday off to the side.

Harry finished removing his robes, and admired his girlfriends still shaking form. Wednesday's eyes were unfocused, and her breathing was rapid. She offered no resistance as he unzipped her dress, and stripped her completely.

Almost gently, he ran his hands over her, as he kissed his way up her nude body. At some point she must have bitten her lip, because there was a thin trail of blood running from her mouth, across her chin, and was beginning to run down her neck. He licked the rivulet up, ending with a searing kiss that brought her back to her senses.

Trying to salvage her shattered position of dominance, she gathered her strength, and drove her fist into his stomach. As the breath rushed out of him, she rolled them both over putting herself on top once more. Giving him no time to recover, she impaled herself and began gyrating toward her next release.

The pain of trying to breathe was mixed with pleasure of Wednesday's writhing on top of him. Both pain and pleasure increased, as he forced himself to draw breath, and her movements became more desperate.

She tensed once more, and he felt her nails bite deep into his flesh. The intense sensations were too much for him, and sent him over the edge. She let out another scream even as his own release claimed him.

Barely conscious, she fell forward to rest on him. Heavy breathing caused his chest to rise and fall rhythmically, and soon the two lovers were fast asleep.

-o-o-

"What are you going to do when it's time to go back to Hogwarts?" Luna asked as she wandered into the library where Harry and Wednesday were looking through a book on magical creatures and beasts, trying to learn what the five legged creature was. "You won't be able to avoid Professor Dumbledore there."

Harry looked up from the book. "I don't know. To be honest I'm not even sure I should go back." He then smacked himself on the forehead and sighed. "Luna, do you know what a brownish furry creature with five legs and a big mouth is?"

"That sounds like a quintaped." She said, walking over and flipping through the book, stopping on a page with a picture that looked just like the creature they'd sent to Dumbledore. "They're not very nice creatures. I think they're supposed to be even more violent and dangerous than those skrewts Hagrid made the year before last."

Wednesday quickly scanned the entry on the quintaped, and looked at the two other teens. "Who's Hagrid, what's a skrewt, and do you think he'd be willing to make us a creature like that?"

"You really want a pet now don't you?" Harry asked with interest.

"Hagrid is the groundskeeper and the care of magical creatures professor at Hogwarts." Luna explained, then flipped through the book again to find two different entries. "He crossbred a manticore, and a firecrab. I don't know if he got in trouble for it or not, but it was very illegal for him to do."

Luna smiled brightly. "He'd probably love to make you a pet. He doesn't really understand how fragile humans are, so I doubt he'd worry about making it too dangerous."

Wednesday looked at Harry as if he'd been lying to her. "You never told me you had such interesting professors. Maybe you should go back." She flipped between the pictures of the firecrab and manticore. "I wonder how difficult it will be to get me enrolled."

"I thought you couldn't use a wand." Harry pointed out.

"So, you don't need one to learn about deadly creatures. There's probably other courses there that I could take as well." She argued.

Harry shrugged. "That certainly makes the prospect of going back more appealing. Now we just have to figure out how to make it work."

"What's to figure out? Father has more than enough money to secure a spot for me, and if that old man interferes, well just kill him." Wednesday insisted.

"Will your parents be okay with staying in England that long? I remember your mom saying something about visiting relatives here.

"I don't see why not. They like this house, we've been home-schooled ever since the incident with Pugsley's art project, and it sounds like there's going to be an open war soon between the old man and Voldemort." She ticked off her reasons on her fingers. "Even if we don't go to your school, everyone will want to stick around for a while. As for the family we planned on visiting, we can dig them up at any point."

Luna clapped. "Then I'll still have friends in the castle this year."

Harry furrowed his brow. "I thought you had friends now. Just because they don't like me anymore doesn't mean they won't still like you."

"They don't like me though, they just don't mind me. There's a difference." She pointed at Harry, and jabbed him lightly right between the eyes. "You showed me what a real friend is. That's why I was so upset when you said we weren't friends when I came here."

Luna pulled out two sheets of parchment, and set them on the table in front of Harry and Wednesday. "Since we're all going, we need to go shopping. Our real supply lists came this morning."

-o-o-

Rufus Scrimgeour was not happy. He'd been elected minister based on his history as an auror and his hard stance on fighting Voldemort. He was unhappy because one of his more useful plans to fight the Death Eaters was being blocked by the bloody goblins.

"They may run the bank, but they have no say over our laws!" He said angrily.

Dirk Cresswell shook his head in disagreement. "I'm sorry sir, but according to the treaties, the ministry cannot make laws involving Gringotts without their representation."

"Surely they can see the usefulness of limiting the Death Eater's ability to access their gold." Scrimgeour pointed out. "If that madman gains control, then they'll suffer as much as we will."

"I know sir, but they insist that Gringotts will not take sides." Cresswell sighed, knowing that his next statement would lead to his boss blowing his top, but he had to say it anyway. "I'm not supposed to know this, but they have a fairly large betting pool going right now on the outcome of the war."

Scrimgeour paused, not understanding where Cresswell was going with this. "So? They bet on everything. What are their odds on us winning?"

Cresswell winced. "They haven't bothered figuring that out sir... Most of the bets are on how long it will take us to lose."

In an icy calm, Scrimgeour frowned. "Do you have an idea of why that is?"

"None, but frankly, it worries me."

"Find out. They know something we don't, and by withholding that information, they have already chosen their side." Scrimgeour stood, and paced behind his desk. "We can't risk another rebellion while dealing with this terrorist, but you need to find out what that information is."

Scrimgeour slammed his hand onto his desk, and roared. "Now Cresswell!"

-o-o-

 _Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks,_

 _As head of the Black family, I would like to invite you both to 12 Grimmauld Place to discuss the future our family. It is my desire to rebuild the family, which would include reinstating you both as daughters of house Black._

 _On the first Saturday of August, my door will be open to you, and the wards will be lifted. It is my hope that you will both accept this invitation, so that together we can be a family._

 _Harry Sirius Black_

-o-o-

July 30th just before Harry's birthday. The full moon was going to be that night. As Remus painfully made his way up the steps to 12 Grimmauld Place, the door opened before he reached it. The haggard werewolf passed over the threshold, and hardly even noticed as the pain ward washed over him. Lurch led Remus to a large empty room, where most of the Addamses were relaxing.

Harry was the first to greet him, smiling widely. "We talked it over, and we decided you'd like a bit of space to run around in."

"Thank you Harry, being locked in a small room always makes the wolf agitated." A pained grimace was the closest thing to a smile that Remus could manage. "This room should make things much easier for me. It is getting late though, you should all lock me in now."

"Nonsense old man!" Gomez said as he walked up, lighting a cigar. "You'll have the entire house to run through. The children will want to play with you as well, once you've turned."

A look of pure horror graced Lupin's face as he looked around at everyone smiling. Great Merlin, even the toddler was here. "You don't understand! Harry, you have to tell them how dangerous I am."

"They already know. Why do you think everyone is so excited?" Harry said. "Oh don't worry, Grandmama is making sure Luna will be safe."

Remus began to object further, but his words came out as a wail of pain, which then turned into a growl. His body shifted and rearranged itself, causing him to howl in agony. Soon the man was gone, and in his place, a wolf that growled menacingly.

Moony leaped at Gomez who was the closest, his mouth wide, intent on tearing out the man's throat. With a laugh Gomez swatted the wolf's muzzle aside, sending the beast tumbling to the ground.

"Come now, the children are eager to play with you. No need to show me what a killer you are." Gomez said after sending a cloud of smoke toward the wolf.

Confused, Moony stood and shook his head to clear it. He turned back to Gomez in fury, then stopped as he felt small hands grab his tail.

"Puppy!" Pubert cried with glee. The toddler laughed as the wolf desperately tried to shake him off.

Failing to get the child off his tail, Moony started running in a tight circle, trying to bite the annoyance.

Everyone watching laughed as the werewolf chased its tail in vain, Pubert swinging around just enough to always be just out of biting range.

-o-o-

Generally, living portraits can't become bored. A fortunate thing considering the nature of their existence. Walburga had been thinking as of late, that even if she could become bored, these house guests would prevent it easily. Her existence had been... interesting over the past month.

She was pondering her next string of insults, when she heard a squeal of joy, accompanied by a dog whining. Soon, a werewolf ran by with the toddler riding on its back. Shortly after that, three of the teenagers ran past trying to keep up.

Perhaps she'd truly gone mad, like her traitorous son had claimed...

-o-o-

Author's note: I originally wasn't going to have Harry return for his NEWTs, but ideas have struck, and now it will happen. That poor school.

To Mizu reviewing chapter 7: I didn't know Lupin would have hidden memories either. At least not until I wrote chapter 7.


	9. Revelations and consequences

Author's note: Sorry this chapter has taken longer than usual. I haven't been able to wrangle very much computer time lately. There's something about a rambunctious toddler that prevents me from writing much during the day, and makes me awfully tired at night.

Thank you all for reading, and special thanks go out to everyone who has left a review

It would be remiss of me not to mention that several reviewers have given me ideas that have already influenced this story. I'd list you all, but I'd hate to leave someone out, and you know who you are anyway. I may not use ideas offered, but I do appreciate reading them. Even if I don't use your idea, it may spark inspiration for something else, so don't be shy about leaving a review.

-o-o-

Chapter 9

Revelations and consequences.

-o-o-

Remus sat with his head in his hands. The pain of the transformation was slowly fading, but the events of last night were going to stay with him forever. From the other room he could hear the toddler giggling, and shuddered. On the one hand, the wolf was completely unable to hurt anyone. On the other hand, he had to deal with the memory of being a child's plaything. Thankfully it wasn't until the next full moon that he'd have to decide whether or not it was worth it.

"That was a lot of fun." Harry said as he set a cup of tea in front of Remus. "Pubert can be a handful, I don't know how you kept up with him last night. We were exhausted by the time we finally caught up with you two."

Remus gave a grunt of thanks as he took the offered drink.

Harry sat next to Remus with a cup of his own. "We weren't sure what you wanted in your tea, so we didn't add anything. Mine has some powdered belladonna if you'd prefer. It's great for helping you relax."

That woke Remus up. He looked at the tea he was about to sip, and decided not to risk it. "That's alright, I'm fine. Happy birthday by the way."

"Thanks." He said as he yawned, then took a long drink of his tainted tea.

Deciding for his own sanity to ignore how Harry was casually drinking poison, Remus changed the topic. "I had a discussion with Mister Longbottom and his grandmother the other day. Between what Neville and I know, we painted a picture that infuriated Madam Longbottom."

Harry looked at Remus in interest. "From what Neville has said over the years, that sounds like a wonderfully terrifying prospect. Is that fury directed at me?"

"At Dumbledore actually." Remus corrected, which elicited a smile from Harry. "Like myself, Madam Longbottom believes what he did to be reprehensible. She's especially upset at the thought that Dumbledore likely wants to erase her grandson's memories in regards to you."

"It's too early to say for certain, but modifying the memories of a wizard is a very serious crime. Never mind that he was trying to modify your mind as well." Remus explained. "Dumbledore is going to get into quite a bit of trouble over this."

-o-o-

"This is a joke right?" Tonks asked her mother as she held up her copy of the letter Harry had sent them both. "It's obviously not written by Harry. He knows better than to use my first name, and Harry Sirius Black isn't even his name."

Andromeda sighed. "I wouldn't be so sure about that Nymphadora. I thought the name was curious myself, so I checked. Harry Sirius Black is the head of the Black family. Out of curiosity I checked who the head of the Potter family was, and according to the records in the ministry, the Potter line is extinct."

Tonks looked at her mother in horror. "Extinct? That means they killed Harry!"

"Or it means that he changed his name, and allowed the Potter line to die in favor of restoring the Black one." Andromeda pointed out. "I love you Nymphadora, but sometimes I really wish you had been a Slytherin, or at least a Ravenclaw. You have a bright mind, but you don't use it."

Tonks just glared at her mother.

Rolling her eyes, Andromeda continued. "I intend to see what Harry has to say. I don't regret marrying your father for one moment, but I miss my family. There isn't much of it left, but I was once proud to be a Black. If at all possible, I would like to be a Black once more."

"Mom, there are dark wizards living in that house now, real dark." She looked at her mother in disbelief. "It's a miracle that most of us made it out of there alive!" At that reminder, her eyes filled with unshed tears. It had been days, and there had been no word from Remus. Moody was certain that he had been killed.

"I spoke with Arthur, and a few others who went with you on your 'rescue' mission. From what I can tell, they only defended themselves from your unprovoked attack." Andromeda tactfully ignored her daughters grief. While she had no issue with the werewolf as a wizard, he was a terrible match for Nymphadora. A dark little portion of her mind was grateful that he was no longer an option for her daughter.

"Unprovoked! Mother, they kidnapped Harry!" Tonks shouted in outrage.

Andromeda's eyes hardened, and her voice grew icy. "Do not take that tone with me Nymphadora, and for once use that mind that I know you have."

Before her daughter could continue arguing like a petulant child, Andromeda went on. "I have asked around, and learned what I could. There is no sign that Harry has been taken against his will. As a matter of fact, the only ones attempting to force Harry to do anything, is Professor Dumbledore and by extension, you and the rest of his vigilante group."

Tonks was stunned. She had been arguing with her mother ever since she was a little girl, but never like this. There was iron in her mother's voice, an unyielding authority that would allow no counterpoint. She was so shocked, that couldn't bring herself to respond.

"As I said, I intend to see what Harry has in mind. As much as you do not act it, you are an adult, and can decide for yourself whether or not you will join me." Andromeda allowed her gaze to soften, and she placed her hand gently on her daughter's shoulder. "If you are truly worried, then get Professor Dumbledore to make us a pair of those portkeys that you used."

-o-o-

Harry had spent several years playing chess against Ron. As a result, his game was actually pretty good, even though he never once beat the redhead. One day he might even learn how good he'd become, but this was not that day.

Harry stared at the board carefully, and nudged his queen forward to take his opponent's knight. He'd lose the queen, but in two more turns he'd win the game regardless.

"Checkmate!" Gomez said in triumph as he moved his bishop clear across the board. "Well done Harry, but not good enough."

A tawney owl swooped down, landing in front of Harry, and stopped only long enough for him to remove the parchment tied to its leg before taking flight once more. Harry chuckled lightly as he read the message.

"Message from a friend, or is it a death threat?" Gomez asked with mild curiosity.

Harry set the message down. "Voldemort got so absorbed with what he learned when he was here, that he forgot to talk about his soul fragments with me. He's inviting me to visit him this time, so we can discuss this little guy." Harry pointed to his scar with a grin.

Scanning the parchment quickly, Gomez laughed. "He does seem anxious about it, doesn't want to give you the chance to say no. I'll let Lurch know to expect your scarred friend and let him in."

"I think I'll go anyway. Maybe Pettigrew will be there, and I can take care of that business at the same time." Harry said thoughtfully. "How long do you think I can manage to keep him alive?"

"Who can say?" Gomez said with a shrug as he leaned back and lit up a cigar. "You should take Wednesday with you. She's getting to the age when a young woman yearns to seek out the darkness, and truly unleash the hellish desires she holds in her heart. Your friend Voldmort seems to be a decent sort, maybe he'll be willing to let her take part in an obscene ritual or two."

-o-o-

Snape walked with purpose through the halls, his Dark Mark burning with the Dark Lord's summons. He had almost never felt it burn with such intensity. Whatever the Dark Lord needed, it must be of enormous importance. Perhaps he will finally be privy to whatever the new plans for Potter were. As much as he hated the arrogant little snot, he needed to ensure that Potter would survive.

As he approached the holding cell where portkey arrivals were temporarily held, he heard the telltale sound of one such arrival. His curiosity got the better of him, and he glanced through the bars of to see who had appeared. He noticed the door was ajar, meaning that either someone wasn't doing their job right, or whoever was expected was not a prisoner.

"No..." Snape whispered in disbelief. There stood Potter between Asclepius and the dark girl that Moody had described.

This was it, the moment had finally arrived when he would give up his charade and clearly define his true loyalties. Ignoring the searing pain in his left arm, he pressed himself against the wall and waited for the door to open.

"Levicorpus." Snape all but whispered, and Harry was pulled up into the air by his ankle. Out of his line of fire, Snape followed up with a cutting curse, sweeping across the hall. He finished his casting by disarming Potter.

Harry felt his wand fly from his hand before he could curse Snape. Wasting no time, he drew his dagger and slashed at the greasy-haired traitor who was attempting to grab him.

Snape cried out in pain and disbelief as he saw four of his fingers separate from his hand. Then he gasped for air as he felt slender fingers wrap around his throat.

"Put him down." Wednesday ordered calmly. "Now!" She added with force, and emphasized by tightening her grip.

Knowing he was dead anyway, and literally had nothing left to lose, Snape dug deep into the dark arts that he loved. Before he could cast the dark curse that would immolate both himself and the girl, he felt another blinding pain, and he lost his grip on his wand as Asclepius' bone shattering curse struck his hand.

A wave of his wand, and a simple "Finite incantatem." allowed Harry to fall to the floor with a painful crash. Asclepius grinned sadistically, and stared into Snape's eyes. "A cutting curse, against me? You may as well have used a cheering charm. Mistress Bella and I will have so much fun with you later, but now we have an audience with the Dark Lord."

-o-o-

Voldemort narrowed his eyes in anger. Severus was nearly always prompt when summoned, but it had been too long. He was just about to send Bella to fetch the traitor, when the door opened, and he was treated to an interesting scene.

Black's girlfriend, Thurday? No, Wednesday was in the lead, her front was soaked with blood. The fabric of her dress was slashed opened, exposing the contrast of her crimson blood on her alabaster stomach, but by the placid look on her face, she clearly wasn't concerned. She was dragging Severus behind her with one hand gripping the potion master's hair.

Asclepius and Black walked behind, and his loyal servant was injured as well. Much like the girl, he didn't acknowledge his cut robes or the bleeding wound he had running across his torso. Black was unharmed, but carried Severus' wand in one hand, and something unknown in the other.

The girl casually tossed Severus before him, and Black threw a few of the man's fingers on top of his prone form. Asclepius approached, knelt, and kissed the hem of his robes.

"The traitor has shown his true colors master." Asclepius said with his head bowed. "He attacked us as I was leading Black and his guest to you. I hope that you are not displeased that he is less than whole."

Bellatrix giggled maniacally from her place at her master's side. One way or another, she was going to enjoy the results of this encounter.

A swirl of his wand, and Voldemort sealing the bleeding wound of his lieutenant. "Would you like me to close your wound as well child?" He asked Wednesday politely.

"I'll be fine." She said without expression. Inwardly she smiled, she could feel Harry's eyes on her, and knew that the sight of her bleeding and exposed flesh was exciting her boyfriend. She was even more pleased that he wasn't blushing like he once would have.

Voldemort stopped Snape's bleeding, then levitated the traitor to hang helpless in the air before him. "I am disappointed in you Severus. You were my most trusted, the one servant who had almost never failed me." Snape jerked and writhed mid-air as Voldemort held him under the cruciatus. "I find out from Mister Black of all people, that you have been working against me. How long Severus? When did you abandon me for that foolish old man?"

Hate contorted Snape's features as he stared at the man who would kill him. "Since you killed her. You swore you'd spare her, but she died by your wand anyway."

Voldemort glanced at Harry for a moment before returning his attention to Snape. "Lily Potter? You throw away everything for the memory of a woman who spurned you? You are more of a fool than Dumbledore." Having no more use for the traitor, Voldemort threw the full force of his mind at Severus to ferret out any secrets.

Snape screamed as he felt the Dark Lord sift through his mind with abandon. He desperately tried to eject Voldemort, or barring that, keep him from learning any Order secrets. Chagrined, he realized that he was only able to fool Voldemort before because the Dark lord was holding back. Tears formed as his mind was raped, and he truly knew how completely he had failed.

Voldemort allowed Snape to fall limp to the floor. "Bella, Asclepius, his betrayal runs deep. He thinks himself broken now, but I want you both to show him that he has not even begun to understand pain. Enjoy yourselves, but do not let him die. I want to kill him myself once he has truly suffered."

The two insane death eaters left with Snape in tow. Both had a wild look of perverse glee etched into their faces, eager to have fun with their new playmate.

Voldemort was expressionless for a moment before he turned to his two teenage visitors. "I'm afraid I have some business that needs attention right now. If you would be so kind as to indulge me, I'll return shortly."

Shrugging, Harry responded. "We're in no real hurry."

-o-o-

Dumbledore was frustrated. With the war going badly, and Harry a near complete loss, he had no time to deal with distractions. Yet here he was, summoned by the Wizengamot for Merlin knows what reason. If it wasn't something of great importance, he was just going to walk right out.

"Rufus, What is this about anyway?" Dumbledore asked the minister outside the courtroom.

"You had best get in there and find out." The grizzled former auror said as he finished adjusting his official robes. He hated how much the bloody frippery would impede him if he needed to defend himself. He wondered if he could institute a more utilitarian uniform for the Wizengamot. Barring that, maybe they'd let just him get away with wearing some.

No respect anymore. Dumbledore thought, maybe it had something to do with the loss of his beard. He had thought it might be fun to grow it back naturally, but maybe he would use magic if the long grey beard helped his image so much.

Grumbling internally, but with a warm smile and twinkling eyes, he walked onto the courtroom floor. A pair of aurors escorted him to a lone chair, and requested he hand over his wand for the duration.

"Am I to understand that I am on trial?" Dumbledore asked incredulously.

"No sir." Said the senior auror. "As far as I know they just want to ask a few questions. This is just a standard precaution."

"Yes, of course." Dumbledore agreed. "But first indulge an old man."

Dumbledore carefully drew his wand, and conjured a large soft-cushioned chair. Then he handed it over to the senior auror, and sat in his own chair. Putting on his most gentle and grandfather-like face, he waited serenely.

His replacement had not yet been elected, so the minister presided in his stead. Perhaps this was about reinstating him as chief warlock, that would help him tremendously in his efforts to stop Voldemort.

-o-o-

When Voldemort returned, he was surprised to find Wednesday backed up against the wall, with Harry pressed up against her. The boy had one hand firmly against her wound, and the other pinned one of her hands to the wall. He was passionately kissing her neck as she gripped his hair with her free hand. She was moaning loudly with unrestrained pleasure. If he were fifty years younger he might find the scene provocative. As it was, he was just confused.

Noticing that they were no longer alone, Wednesday reluctantly pushed Harry away. "Later Harry, we're being rude."

Harry almost regretfully wiped her blood of his hand and onto his robes. As he turned and saw Voldemort watching them with one hairless brow raised, he remembered what Gomez had told him, and refused to let himself be embarrassed. "I take it you'd like to chat about your soul fragments?"

"Yes, I would. How did you find out about them, and what do you know?" Voldemort asked as he led his guests to a small table where they could talk.

"Grandmama Frump knows a lot about what we call the dark arts." Harry explained. "She recognized my scar for what it was, and let me know that I had a portion of your soul trapped in there. I figured that your diary must have held one too."

Voldemort's eyes darkened as he remembered Lucius begging forgiveness for allowing his precious horcrux to be destroyed. "Yes, Lucius has been punished for using my diary in such a foolish manner."

"What about Dumbledore, has he discovered how I have managed my immortality?" Voldemort asked as he contemplated what to do with his unintended horcrux. Now that he was on friendly terms with Black, he had some interesting options.

Harry shrugged. "No idea, I doubt he's ever told me the truth about anything. He doesn't see me as anything but a means to your end."

Pressing his palms together, and resting them against his thin lips, Voldemort closed his eyes in thought. "Soul magic is considered one of the darkest arts. As such only the most powerful and knowledgeable, like myself, have ever studied it. Our connection does indeed make sense, now that I know you are one of my horcruxes."

Voldemort's eyes flashed open, and he stared deep into Harry's emerald eyes. "Each horcrux I have made has been given protections more potent than the last. You are vulnerable, and if Dumbledore does know what your scar truly is, then he no doubt intends that you die. I cannot allow that to happen. There are several rituals I will prepare, that will make you nearly as untouchable as I am."

"No thank you. What fun would life be if I couldn't die? In fact, I was wondering... If this connection we share does make me share your immortality, can you remove your soul fragment?" Harry grasped Wednesday's hand and squeezed. "Some day I would like to die. Not today, but someday."

Voldemort was speechless at first. It had never occurred to him that anyone would willingly choose mortality. Eventually, he spoke softly as he worked through the problem in his mind. "Ordinarily I would say no, but as you are a living horcrux, and a wizard as well... There may be a way. Yes, yes I think it can be done. I will need time to gather what I need, and to design the ritual... Yes, perhaps this is best."

"Will it be painful?" Wednesday asked, but oddly, without concern.

"I don't know yet, but most likely yes." Voldemort replied, wondering if the girl would object.

Instead of objecting, Wednesday gave the slightest hint of a smile. "Can I help?"

-o-o-

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, in light of your many years of service to the Wizengamot, we are maintaining that this is a simple inquisition, and not a full trial." Scrimgeour said as he began the proceedings.

"Trial?" Dumbledore asked confused and offended. "What am I being accused of?"

Augusta Longbottom stood. "It has come to my attention that you have been tampering with the minds of the former Harry Potter, and those who would be close to him."

Frantic whispers and hushed arguing erupted among the Wizengamot.

Scrimgeour called for silence. "As I said, out of respect, this is not a trial. Merely an inquisition to discover the truth of Madam Longbottom's accusation." Addressing Dumbledore directly, he asked the first question. "Have you used magic to alter the mind of one Harry Black, formerly known as Harry Potter?"

Dumbledore knew he should have insisted on seeing what the Longbottom boy knew, but the damage had already been done, and there was no sense dwelling on that. Shutting his eyes wearily, he decided there was no course left to him but the truth. "I am ashamed to admit that I have; however, I would not have done so, had I any other choice. Unfortunately my reasons must remain secret."

Holding up his hand, and casting a stern glare about the courtroom to maintain silence, Scrimgeour spoke. "That is unacceptable, respect only goes so far. If you do not reveal you reasons, or if your reasoning is found lacking, this will quickly become a full trial. If that occurs, you are looking at spending time in our temporary DMLE holding cells while we resolve Azkaban's security issues.

"Rufus, a man with your background can appreciate sensitive information. Perhaps I can reveal my reasoning to you, and you alone." Dumbledore said with his head held high.

Pursing his lips, Scrimgeour frowned as he mulled over the suggestion. "A vote then, raise your wand if you believe I should be allowed to decide the validity of Dumbledore's reasoning."

Roughly half of the Wizengamot raised their wands. Percy Weasley quickly counted up the votes and recorded the result. When Scrimgeour looked to him, he nodded, and the minister continued.

"Raise your wand if you believe the entire Wizengamot is needed for this decision." Scrimgeour said, and noted that it was an extremely close vote.

Percy finished recording the result of the vote, and looked up at the minister, who nodded firmly. "By five wands, the Wizengamot has decided that the minister is to be entrusted with deciding the validity of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore's reasoning." Percy said, as formally as he could manage.

"Very well." Minister Scrimgeour said. "We will adjourn for one hour. Upon returning to this courtroom, head of the department of magical law enforcement, Pius Thicknesse, will take over these proceedings in my stead."

-o-o-

On their way out, Harry and Wednesday stopped to see if Bellatrix would be visiting, and if her sister and nephew would join them as well. Bellatrix stepped back from the whimpering Snape, and faced Harry.

"Oh we'll be there." She said in an oddly sane tone. "Even if I have to drag Draco along with us." Her tone went from sane to childish as she continued. "My widdle nephew is sad that he isn't in charge now ." Her tone changed again, this time madness colored her speech. "But Cissa and I can't wait to see what you have in mind."

As Harry and Bellatrix talked, Wednesday walked over to Asclepius, who was digging his finger into a fresh cut on Snape's arm. The tortured man was gritting his teeth, and grimacing in pain.

"Here, you do it like this." Wednesday said as she took the scarred Death Eater's finger and shifted where he was applying pressure.

Snape immediately screamed in agony, which in turn made Asclepius grin widely. "What was I doing wrong?"

"You were just pushing on his muscle, now your finger is separating it from the bone." She looked at Snape with a clinical eye. "Make sure you let him rest, and play around with how you hurt him. If he's constantly in pain, he might start to like it."

Remembering his own torture at the end of Harry's knife, he nodded in agreement. Removing his finger, he pried back Snape's eyelids with his thumb and forefinger. "We wouldn't want that now would we?" Asclepius said as he chuckled maniacally while staring into Snape's pain filled eyes.

-o-o-

Once the Wizengamot had settled back in, and Thicknesse had called everyone to order, the DMLE head turned to Scrimgeour. "What is your decision Minister? Does Professor Dumbledore's reasoning excuse his actions?"

Scowling, Scrimgeour looked at Dumbledore as he spoke. "It is my belief that while valid, Dumbledore's reasons are not enough to completely exonerate him. I suggest that he be shown leniency in the form of no jail time; however, I also suggest that his position as headmaster of Hogwarts be stripped from him. He should have let the DMLE know what he was doing, and why. This lack of sound judgment makes me believe he should not be allowed a position of authority over our children."

Thicknesse looked around the courtroom. "Is there any here who objects to the minister's suggestion?"

Madam Longbottom stood once more. "I want further assurance that he will not tamper with the minds of our children again."

A clamor rang out across the courtroom as wizards and witches voiced their agreement.

Calling for silence, Thicknesse modified the punishment. "Very well, in addition to being stripped of your position, you will no longer be permitted to be alone with any witch or wizard under the age of majority. Should you ever be found disobeying this decision, you will be tried, and face time in Azkaban. If you ever are found guilty of altering the mind of any witch or wizard in the future, you will face up to fifty years in Azkaban. Those in favor, please raise you wand."

Well over half of the Wizengamot raised their wand.

"Wait one moment!" Dumbledore called out. "Can I not say anything further in my defense?"

"Can you?" Scrimgeour asked almost smugly. "You wanted your excuses kept private. If there is anything you can use in your defense publicly, then by all means."

Taking in Dumbledore's silence, and the vote results, Thicknesse finished up. "Your punishment passes by a clear majority. I now return control to you Minister Scrimgeour."

-o-o-

Shucking off his Wizengamot robes as fast as he could, Scrimgeour raced to catch up with Dumbledore before he could leave.

"If half of what you told me is true, then I can't afford to stop your little vigilante group like I want." Scrimgeour said as he fell in step with the former Headmaster. "But you will work with the ministry, not outside of its control. I don't want you blowing your nose without informing Thicknesse, do you understand?"

Dumbledore frowned. "I must reign in Harry, you know that, you agreed with me."

"Do not lose sight of the real enemy here." Scrimgeour said forcefully. "He-who-must-not-be-named must be stopped, at all costs. I sincerely believe that the prophecy's are a load of shite. The boy is just that, a boy."

Scrimgeour continued as his frown deepened. "I made my decision in there, because as much as I don't like you, we need your wand. Stop fooling around, and help us take down that madman." He pointed an accusatory finger at Dumbledore. "The amount of political rubbish I had to go through to hush up your little stunt at Grimmauld Place is staggering. If the pure-blood factions caught wind of you illegally storming the house of Black, there would be nothing I could do to keep you out of a jail cell. Do not make me regret letting you keep your freedom."

-o-o-

Tonks walked along side her mother, nervously fingering her wand. Unfortunately, professor Dumbledore had refused to make portkeys for her mother and herself. The professor said something about having to be careful about upsetting the ministry at this point. She had decided to come along anyway, so that she could protect her mother if things went as poorly as she imagined they would.

"Calm down Nymphadora." Andromeda said, picking up on her daughter's mood. "Don't forget to think before you act. Remember, use that mind of yours."

Sighing, Tonks reluctantly took her hand off her wand, and tried to calm herself as they walked up the steps to 12 Grimmauld Place.

The door opened at the first knock, revealing the imposing form of Lurch. The Addams butler moaned and motioned for the two witches to enter. After they entered the foyer, Lurch closed the door and moaned, "Faaaalow meeeee."

Andromeda did not hesitate to follow the tall man further into the house, and after a quick look around for an ambush, Tonks carefully followed. Hearing Harry's voice coming from the room ahead, she was both relieved to know that he was still alive, and worried that the rumors about him were true. If he truly had gone dark, then where did that leave the Order? She didn't know the details, but she did know that Dumbledore insisted that Harry was a key player needed to combat he-who-must-not-be-named.

Upon entering the parlor, Tonks drew her wand lightning fast, and aimed it at the witch who was talking with Harry. "What is she doing here?"

"Did you honestly expect there to be a Black family meeting without us?" Draco said from off to the side where he abandoned his sulking to make fun of his cousin.

"Sister." Narcissa said with a nod of acknowledgment. "I trust you've been well."

"Despite our differences, I've missed you and Bella." Andromeda said with a smile.

"Bellatrix? Mother are you mental? She's an insane murderer!" Tonks objected. "These two are bad enough, but... What are you laughing for?"

Harry stopped laughing, and pointed toward the door with a smirk. There stood Bellatrix with a smirk of her own, waving by wiggling her fingers.

Tonks immediately drew her wand, and sent curse after curse toward her deranged aunt.

Laughing, Bellatrix batted away the jets of light with ease. "Awww. What's the matter Nymphy? Aren't you happy to see Auntie Bella?"

"As entertaining as it would be to watch, do you think we could all talk before we kill each other?" Harry said calmly as he stood, and slowly walked between the two witches.

"C'mon mother, we've got to get out of here." Tonks said with a strained voice.

Instead, Andromeda sat down next to Narcissa. "Put your wand away Nymphadora. If you must, consider this a temporary truce."

"Light or dark, good or evil, insane or otherwise, none of that matters right now." Harry said as he gently pushed Tonks back to flop into a cushioned chair next to Draco. "This is about family."

"Family!?" Tonks spluttered, and pointed an accusing finger at Bellatrix. "She murdered Sirius! Hows that for family!"

"Yes, she did, and once we're finished talking, you two can kill each other if you want." Harry said with a smile, but she could tell he was completely serious.

Completely confused and out of her depth, Tonks turned to her mother with a pleading look. "How can you just sit there mother? These are the people that threw you away like so much trash for being a decent human being, for not being dark like them."

Andromeda sighed as her older sister sat on her other side. "It's almost sad really, how everyone assumes I'm a light witch."

With that statement Narcissa smiled, Bellatrix gave a sharp laugh, and Tonks just sat there stunned. Draco had gone back to quietly sulking.

Harry clapped his hands and walked to the center of the room. "Narcissa was kind enough to explain the situation while we waited for the rest of you." Though he was speaking to everyone, it was clear he was mainly talking for Tonks' benefit. "Andromeda, like nearly all of the Black family, is politically dark. The falling out happened because of her choice of husband."

"Normally I wouldn't have given a muggleborn a second glance, but there was just something about your father." Andromeda said to her daughter. "The heart wants what it wants. Fortunately Ted isn't a political man at all, otherwise we might have disagreed quite a bit over the years."

"This is heartwarming and all, but can we just get on with this?" Draco grumbled.

-o-o-

Edit: I changed how Snape was disarmed so that the end scene of chapter 11 can occur as written.

Author's note: Considering that Snape is going to be a little preoccupied to be the DADA teacher, does anyone have a suggestion for the new DADA teacher? I've had a few thoughts, but nothing that stands out as a really good/fun idea.

To Guest reviewing chapter 8: I hadn't even thought of that. Maybe their blood would overpower the lycanthropy, making a werewolf bite rather mundane. I doubt they would actually want to become werewolves anyway. To an Addams, a werewolf has one major flaw: They don't know what they're doing while in wolf form. It's just not the same if you aren't the one in control.

Eventually just being around the Addams family will slowly infect Luna with their old magic. Either she'll practically become an Addams, or she'll be driven insane. With Luna, I'm not sure anyone will be able to tell the difference. For now, the family knows that she isn't there yet. They like her, so they kept her safe from Moony.

Thing doesn't have a body at all. He's just a hand, wrist, and a few inches of forearm. In the old TV show, there are other disembodied hands in addition to Thing. Who knows where they come from.

To Mizu reviewing chapter 8: I imagine Wednesday is going to terrorize many people, some of them on purpose.


	10. Blacks, snakes, and rodents

WARNING: Do I even need to bother with the warnings here? Seriously, it's chapter ten. You can't have possibly made it this far if I can offend you with my writing.

Author's note: Thank you everyone who has given me your thoughts on who should teach at Hogwarts. I have a solid idea for everything, but nothing is set in stone until the school year starts.

As always, I appreciate everyone who reads my story, and special thanks to those who review. Reading your reviews is my favorite part of writing, so please let me know what you think.

Now we return you to the thrilling conclusion of the Black family reunion, already in progress.

-o-o-

Chapter 10

Blacks, snakes, and rodents.

-o-o-

"This is heartwarming and all, but can we just get on with this?" Draco grumbled.

Harry walked over to his schoolyard antagonist, and leaned over to be at eye level, a wide smile on his face. "Come now Draco, why the attitude? We should all be one big happy family here."

Harry's smile grew even wider as he realized how uncomfortable he was making the other teenager. "Years ago, you offered to shake my hand in friendship. I'm offering you something greater than that."

Draco was awash with thoughts and emotions. His first thought was that he was a Malfoy, and inherently superior to Potter. That thought was tempered by the knowledge that his hated rival had literally ended the Potter line, and taken up the name Black. He seethed in anger, by all expectations, he should have been the one to inherit, not Scarhead. The grinning idiot in front of him had no right to be lording over him.

Before he could open his mouth to tell off the Gryffindor fool, he saw his mother's face at the edge of his vision. His mother was white as a ghost, and was subtly shaking her head no. There was a look of terror in her eyes, the likes of which he'd never seen before. That confused him, until he actually looked at the new Black paterfamilias, and locked eyes with him.

Those green eyes were completely devoid of sanity. Instead, they held a madness that surpassed his Aunt Bellatrix's. The smile no longer seemed insulting. No, now it was downright frightening. His mind blanked, and he had no idea what to do or say.

Almost disappointed that Draco didn't say anything, Harry spun back around, and walked to where everyone could easily see him. "We are the last of the Blacks. The once mighty House of Black has fallen far, but it has not yet succumbed to the bittersweet embrace of Death. I want to rebuild. I've learned quite a bit about the family I've inherited, and I believe I know what went wrong. More importantly, I know how to fix it."

"What went wrong is the stupidity of pure-blood dogma." Tonks said under her breath, but loud enough to be heard by everyone. A little louder, she boldly clarified, happy that she was obviously upsetting her aunts and her cousin. "Marrying your cousin is a great way to have screwed up kids. Muggles have known this for ages."

Before an argument could break out, Harry loudly agreed with a flat voice. "She's not wrong, but it's also not that simple. That is only half of the problem."

Making sure all eyes were on him, Harry explained. "Toujours pur has been the Black family motto for centuries, but it's actually a poor french translation from the original Latin. Now my Latin sucks, but I'm almost positive I know where the translation screwed up. It's supposed to be always holy, not pure, holy."

"Are you trying to say we're descended from some muggle religious order?" Draco said with a look of disgust.

"No, no, of course not. Muggles worship their gods, and we worship our magic." Harry dismissed Draco's question with a wave of his hand. "Grandmama Frump could explain this better. After all, she's the one who figured this out in the first place. She's almost certain that the Black family originally came from the old magic, the real primal stuff that nobody remembers how to use anymore, just like the Addams family. Except of course, the Addams family never forgot where it came from."

"Wait, are you saying..." Tonks started, as she remembered the utter disaster that the Order's raid had been. "That's why none of our stunners worked... Those freaks use primal magic?! That's insane! Primal magic eats away at you. No one uses it, because it will kill you!"

"I'm not going to pretend I know enough about it to explain." Harry said, cutting her off. "If you really want to talk to an expert, Grandmama is around somewhere. The point is, our family used to pride itself on our magical strength. Somewhere along the way someone made the mistake of thinking that the way to maintain that strength was to only allow established bloodlines to marry into the family. Even worse, somewhere along the way the old magic was allowed to wane."

Harry gestured to Tonks, who was still trying to grasp the situation she'd found herself in. "The whole marrying your cousin thing did screw things up a bit. It's not always going to cause problems, but eventually it will. Those problems add up, and will wipe out a family. New blood is needed to keep a family from dying, just look at Nymphadora.

Tonks twitched at the sound of her real name, but held her tongue. Dumbledore would need to know that they were using primal magic. She decided she would go along for now, learn what she could, and report back to Dumbledore.

Smirking at how Tonks' eye twitched, Harry continued. "She's not a weak witch at all, and a metamorphmagus as well. The muggleborn blood did no harm, and may have been what made her a metamorphmagus."

Harry looked around to see the various reactions. Bellatrix and Tonks both looked conflicted, Narcissa looked thoughtful, Andromeda looked smug, and Draco was furious.

"Now you're saying we need to start marrying mud-bloods?" Draco spat, his anger overriding his earlier fear. "You've lost your bloody mind."

"I'm saying you should look look for a witch who's powerful." Harry said as he focused on Draco. "Her magic should concern you much more than who her parents or grandparents were. Of course, the most important thing should be that you love her."

Harry laughed bitterly. "As much as I hate to admit it, Dumbledore was right about one thing. Love is one of the most powerful magics there is. The Addams family is nothing if not loving. Their passion binds them together, draws in those who would strengthen them, and it might just be what keeps the old magic from destroying them like you were talking about." Harry finished, pointing at Tonks.

"Am I right in thinking that Nymphadora and I are being brought back into the family?" Andromeda asked. "If so, what exactly are you proposing we do to rebuild the family?"

"I've already re-owned... Is that a word?" Harry thought about it for a moment before continuing. "Doesn't matter. Yes, you both are Blacks, by blood and by law. As for how we rebuild, I thought that would be obvious. All of us need to do our part to add more Blacks to the family tree. I might be the only one with the Black name, but you all have Black blood. We all can produce Black children."

Harry was met with silence, so he pressed on, addressing each person individually. "Bellatrix, You really should have produced a Lestrange heir by now anyway. Is there an issue with your marriage? I'm pretty sure I can dissolve it if you'd like. I know you and Asclepius get along well."

That comment made Bellatrix snort with amusement before she nearly doubled over laughing. "Asclepius is lots of fun for widdle Bella to pway with, but he isn't exactly lover material. Well, not for me anyway. I lack the equipment he's interested in." She chuckled knowingly. "He and Rabastan have been sneaking fun time of their own when they think no one will miss them."

Her laughing changed from amused to sardonic. "Rodolphus and I have been too busy serving the Dark Lord, and then rotting in Azkaban to start a family." She looked thoughtful. "If my master allows, we can make time for that sort of fun."

Harry nodded. "If you'd like, I can always ask him to allow it as a favor to me. I think we've got a nice working relationship going by now."

Tonks could feel the color literally drain from her face. In times of stress or emotion, she lost full control of her morphing abilities, and they tended to physically show how she was feeling. Right now, she was horrified. Harry wasn't just dark, he was in league with Voldemort. This was bad... very, very bad.

Harry smirked at the sight of Tonk's face which was now whiter than even Morticia's. Moving on, he Addressed the three sisters together. "The three of you can all have a second child, and give them the Black name. More if you'd like, but I'm not going to insist you turn into brood mares. I'm not that sort of monster.

"Draco, you and I have at least a couple years yet before we should contribute." Harry pointed out casually. "Obviously all of my children will be Blacks, but after you father a Malfoy heir, you can father a new Black as well."

Still unable to fully curb his petulance, Draco all but spat, "I suppose you think you have a say in whom I'll marry."

Harry produced a smile which did not match the coldness of his eye. "Of course not. I do ask that you choose a witch you love, and one with power, but you are the Malfoy heir. I'm not going to hold a knife to your throat over this."

Harry paused, closed his eyes, and his smile grew... less sane. "I think we've reached the fun portion of the meeting. Bella?"

At his prompt, the eldest sister rose and drew her wand. In one fluid motion she secured both of her sisters with conjured ropes. As she did this, Harry's eyes flashed open, and he similarly bound both Draco and Tonks.

In response to the noise of objection and outrage, Harry silenced everyone but Bellatrix, who was merely giggling like a child. "Andromeda, Narcissa, I can't have you interfering as I deal with your children. Don't worry, I shouldn't have to kill them. I just need to impress upon them the situation that they are in now."

Harry slowly walked over to Draco, pocketing his wand, and producing his knife. "Now, I never said I wouldn't hold a knife to you for other reasons." Smiling jovially, he walked behind Draco and jerked his head back roughly, exposing the boy's throat. He leaned down to whisper in Draco's ear as he pressed the point of his knife ever so slightly into the boy's flesh. "There's the jugular here, the carotid here, or I could just open you up from here... to here."

Though Draco's whimpering was silenced, the tears streaming down his cheeks clearly displayed his fear. The acrid scent of urine punctuated said fear.

"Like it or not Draco, we're family now. I suggest you get used to the idea. I'm not the same golden Griffindor that Dumbledore built me up as. Why, I think we should get along famously now. If you disagree, you're welcome to try and kill me whenever you'd like. Just remember..." Harry slowly slid his knife along Draco's throat, barely scratching the skin. "As your dear Aunt Bella would say, I play rough now."

Patting Draco's cheek with the flat of his blade, Harry then moved over to crouch in front of Tonks.

"As I see it, you have a choice." Harry said, his face completely serious, and without emotion. "You can choose family or Dumbledore. On the one hand, you have a dishonest old bastard, who will do whatever he feels necessary for his greater good. This includes by the way, keeping vital information to himself, and even going so far as to screw with my brain to mold me into the boy-who-lived that he wanted." For emphasis, he swirled the tip of his knife around his temple. In doing so, he wound up cutting a thin gash which bled freely. His complete disregard of the bleeding wound unnerved Tonks more than anything so far.

"Then you have us." Harry stood, and flung his arms wide and smiled gently. "We are your family, your own flesh and blood. All I want, is for us to be a loving family. Is that really such a difficult choice?" He took his knife into his left hand, drew his wand again, and removed the silencing charm on Tonks.

Tears of loss and rage welled in her eyes as she snarled, "After you and your twisted girlfriend murdered Remus, you expect me to go along with this?"

"Huh?" Harry was taken aback. "What are you talking about? Remus isn't dead."

"You think I'll believe that after seeing what you did to Mad-Eye? He was barely alive when he escaped." Her hair had turned a vivid red, making her head appear to be aflame, which matched her ire. "Besides, if Remus was still alive, he would have checked in with the Order. Unless he's your prisoner here, and that's even worse."

Harry was confused as to why Tonks was so upset. "Uh... okay. Well I think I can clear up this misconception fairly quick. Kreacher!"

The elderly house elf appeared with a -pop- between Harry and Tonks. "Master called for Kreacher?"

"Yes, find Remus, and have him come here. I have an issue that he can help me with." Harry ordered.

"Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black." The elf bowed low before vanishing.

Moments later, the elf reappeared with an upset and half-naked wizard in tow. Remus was dripping wet, and clutching a towel firmly around his waist. "Merlin's beard Harry! What is so important? I barely had time to grab a towel before Kreacher apparated me here. Glancing around the room, he noticed that he was surrounded by witches, and gripped his towel tighter. To his credit, he took Bellatrix's presence, and everyone else being tied up, in stride.

"Sorry about that. I guess I need to be more careful with how I word things with Kreacher." Harry apologized. "It seems the Order thinks you're dead. I figured you could clear things up for Nymphadora." He pointed behind Remus.

Turning, Remus saw the bound metamorph gaping at him, with a slight blush tinting her cheeks.

"Why don't you go put on some robes." Harry said rather than asked. "I think Sirius' stuff should fit you, and you know where his room is."

"Yes, thank you." The werewolf agreed, and walked away with as much dignity as he could manage.

"Now then, What do you say? Loving family, or a manipulative, lying old man?" Harry asked as he focused his attention on Tonks."

"I'm an auror Harry, I fight dark wizards. You can't ask me to just switch sides." She argued, calmer now that she knew her crush was alive. She'd worry about why he hadn't let anyone know that later.

"First, you fight criminals. Not every dark wizard is a criminal." Harry pointed out. "Second, I'm not asking you to change sides. I don't care if you fight Voldemort or not. If you can manage it, you're even welcome to arrest Bella. Kill each other for all I care. A little bloodshed never hurt anyone."

Seeing the confusion on everyone's faces, except Bellatrix's, he tried to explain. "All I want is for us to love each other as family should, and for the family to grow strong again. There's no reason why you can't love your aunt as you fight each other to the death. Bella gets it, I don't understand what's so hard to grasp here."

"If you want, this house can be a neutral ground until you figure out what I'm talking about." Harry conceded. "Until everyone understands what I want being a Black to mean, my house is a safe place for the family to meet. Can we all agree on that?" Harry asked as he canceled the silencing charm on everyone else.

"I can see most of you need some time to think. Take your time, and let me know what you think." Harry said reluctantly. He was really hoping that everyone would be as excited about this as he was.

One by one, he vanished the ropes that bound everyone, until he reached Tonks. "I really do need a commitment from you though. If you're going to side with Dumbledore I need to know. Then I'll let you go, and we can fight each other to the death over this right here and now."

"We don't want to kill you Harry, we just want to help you. This isn't you. What happened to the noble, selfless boy we knew?" Tonks asked, trying to understand as Remus had before her.

"See, that's where we disagree. This is me. Turning me back into the noble martyr that Dumbledore was forcing me to be, will be worse than killing me." Harry said flatly. "If you must turn your back on your family, then at least have the decency to kill me yourself."

With that, Harry freed her, and stared at her expectantly. After a moment of no response, he drew his dagger, flipped it around, and placed the tip over his heart. "Two choices, family or Dumbledore. Leave and think on what I've said if you want to be part of this family. Drive this dagger into my heart here and now if you'd rather serve that bastard for his greater good. Despite what he says, I guarantee that he does want me dead, once I've served my purpose anyway."

"I'll explain things to her Harry." Remus said as he reentered the room wearing only slightly ill fitting robes. "I think I need to have a talk with her anyway."

Harry nodded, and put his knife away. "Alright everyone, you're all free to come and go as you please. My home is always open to a Black. Literally, the wards can't harm any of you. Well, the pain ward can, but it can't kill you. I'll be putting that one back up later today, so fair warning. Personally I like the tingle, but I guess others find it less enjoyable." Harry slumped into one of the chairs, disappointed in how the meeting turned out. No one died, and no one seemed thrilled about his plan for rebuilding the family. Hopefully they would realize it was a good idea after thinking on it for a day or two.

Remus led Tonks out of the room to talk in a more private setting. Narcissa and Draco left, with the witch whispering furiously at her son. Harry wasn't certain, but he thought he heard her use the words 'idiotic,' and 'lucky to be alive.' Bellatrix lingered, lounging on the couch, clearly waiting for the others to leave. Finally, Andromeda approached Harry with a worried look on her face.

"Please, I'll try to convince her. I want us to all be a family, but I need my daughter." She said nervously. "And if you could, please persuade Remus that he is all wrong for Nymphadora. She's as stubborn as I am, and has it in her fool head that they're a match."

"Considering he didn't let her know he was alive, I think it's a safe bet that he's not interested." Harry said as he thought about Remus and Tonks as a couple. "Either that, or he's a complete arse. Either way I'll talk to him. If he can't convince her to side with us, then I'll let you try. If she still chooses Dumbledore, then I will see her dead, and it will be by the hand of a Black. Whether she likes it or not, she is family, and deserves that much."

Wringing her hands nervously, Andromeda went to wait for her daughter by the front door. Hopefully she could get her hardheaded child to see the situation for what it was, and then she would make the right choice herself.

-o-o-

Remus led Tonks into an unused room. The room had scorch marks here and there, as if someone had been practicing blasting curses with abandon.

"Has Harry told you what Dumbledore did to him?" Remus asked calmly.

"Never mind that." Tonks said as she faced him. Slapping his face, she demanded he explain himself. "How could you let us think you were dead? How could you do that to me."

Remus sighed. "Very well, we'll go over that first. I've cut all ties with the Order. I'll have nothing more to do with them, and if they think me dead, all the better. As I've told you before, there is no us, and there never will be. Since you're part of the Order, I had no intention of talking to you either."

Ignoring what should be the greater issue, Tonks pressed on, insistent that the werewolf give their relationship a chance. "I don't care that you're a werewolf you stupid git. I like you! The age difference isn't that big of a deal, so there's no reason why you can't give me a chance."

To think, he was trying to take a bath earlier to relax. Harry owed him for this headache. "I care that I'm a werewolf, the age difference is a big deal to me, and most importantly, I'm not interested. Let it go."

She opened her mouth to argue, but he held up his hand and continued. "A few days ago I had one of the least painful full moons of my life. It involved my wolf half being the reluctant playmate to a three-year-old demonic child. I'm still trying to decide if it was worth it or not. Before that, I learned that the last bit of family I had left has been mentally raped time and again by the man I most respected. Very few things in my life make sense to me anymore, but I do know one thing. Harry is the most important person in the world to me right now, and I will do everything in my power to protect him. His father is dead, his godfather is dead, his other Marauder uncle betrayed him... It is my responsibility to care for Harry, and do right by him. A relationship of any kind is out of the question right now. Especially one with a child who steadfastly refuses to take no for an answer."

Perhaps the upset look she was giving him, with a slightly trembling lower lip, may have affected him once, but at this point, Remus was resolute. He pressed on, fully addressing the more important issue of the former headmaster. "Dumbledore may be a great wizard, he may even be a great man, but he has done terrible things to Harry in the name of the greater good. For Harry's entire life, Dumbledore has been trying to modify his mind. The Harry in there, the one who no doubt frightens you, that is the real Harry. He may have turned out less... extreme... if Dumbledore had allowed me to be the uncle to Harry that I wanted to be, but he made sure that I had as little contact as possible."

He gave a feral snarl. "Dumbledore is the reason why the Dursleys abused Harry. He is directly responsible for how they treated him. Why? Apparently that stupid prophecy claimed that Harry could kill Voldemort. Dumbledore didn't like how Harry wasn't turning out to be hero material, so he stepped in to force him into the role. You can go ahead and be a pawn of Dumbledore's, but if you do, I wouldn't be surprised if you wind up dead within the year."

-o-o-

"You wanted something Bellatrix?" Harry asked the witch who was casually laying on the couch, and giving him an odd smirk.

"I've got a present for you." She said in a singsong voice. "A gift from my master."

Harry perked right up. There was only one thing he'd asked of the Dark Lord that he hadn't already received.

Bellatrix reached into the folds of her robes, and withdrew a small wooden box. She set the box down, lifted the lid, and cast a spell that Harry vaguely recalled from a couple years ago. The box broke apart as a figure enlarged and transformed from within. Within moments, the pitiful form of Peter Pettigrew lay on the floor between them, snoring almost peacefully.

Harry's disappointment from earlier vanished, and he broke out in a wide grin. "Oh Bella, you just made my day."

Cackling madly, Bellatrix withdrew a phial, and handed it to Harry. "That's a Wiggenweld Potion. He'll keep until you're ready for him, and that will wake him up."

Crouching low to get a closer look at the man who betrayed his entire family, Harry felt excited. "Would you like to stay for tea, or perhaps something stronger? I think this is cause to celebrate."

"I'd love to stay, but I have to go kill some blood traitors now." Bellatrix said, somehow conveying both regret and eagerness all at once. She walked off with a parting comment. "Have fun playing, don't do anything I wouldn't."

"Is there anything you wouldn't do?" Harry asked with amusement. The only response he received was insane laughter that trailed off as she walked through the house.

-o-o-

Harry found most of the family in the ballroom. Gomez and Morticia were once again dancing with each other to music that only they heard. Off to the side, Pugsley was playing with several doxies that he'd tethered to a table with string of some sort, and Wednesday was quietly turning the pages of a large tome.

Before he could say anything, Grandmama's voice called out from behind him. Slightly frustrated with himself that he hadn't noticed the old witch when he walked in, he turned around to hear what she had to say.

"Over in that corner." She said simply, pointing off into the shadows with one wizened finger.

Moderately confused, he walked over to where she was pointing anyway. As he approached the corner, he noticed a large pen of some sort, and heard dozens of voices softly speaking. Eyes wide, he looked back to Grandmama who was cackling with glee, then hurried to look into the pen.

There had to be hundreds of snakes slithering about the pen, complaining about the cold and lack of food. Harry couldn't figure out how they had gotten here, or how Grandmama knew that he'd want them. None of that really mattered yet, first he had to enlist his new friends' aid.

" _I can make sure you have warmth and food, water and a safe den as well."_ Harry spoke to the snakes in their own language. _"All I ask in return, is that you guard a single man for me."_

The snakes, almost as one, turned to face Harry. All of them voiced their interest in his offer. Laughing softly, harry reached into the pen and raised his arm back up as soon as a snake climbed on to it.

" _This one will speak for all. If you all try to talk at once I can't understand you."_ Harry explained. _"The man I want guarded is my prisoner. He can turn into a rat. If he tries to escape, as rat or man, I want him killed."_

" _What food will you give us?"_ The snake that wrapped itself around his wrist asked.

" _Come with me, and we will find out."_ Harry said as he turned to go speak with the Addamses.

-o-o-

The Addams family watched as Harry approached the pen, and began speaking to the snakes.

"Did you know your boyfriend was a parselmouth Wednesday?" Morticia asked curiously. She had heard of them, but hadn't ever encountered one herself.

Wednesday shook her head slightly. "No mother, but it does explain a talent of his."

Morticia raised an eyebrow and grinned slightly in amusement as Harry walked toward them carrying one of the venomous snakes.

"Okay, I'll bite. How could you possibly know that I wanted a whole bunch of snakes?" Harry asked, looking between all five of them.

"I told you before, I have reliable ways of gathering information." Grandmama said as she pointed to a crystal ball on the table she had been sitting at.

Harry's eyes widened in understanding. "Wait, you mean divination actually works?"

"Of course it works! What kind of garbage are they teaching at that school of yours?" Grandmama replied, concerned that her granddaughter wanted to go to such a substandard school with Harry.

"Well, they do teach divination, sort of." Harry said carefully. "Only, the professor is rubbish. She got sacked last year, and a centaur replaced her. To be honest though, I can't understand anything that any centaur says. They just seem to talk in riddles."

"What's your friend saying there Harry?" Gomez asked, pointing his cigar at the snake on Harry's wrist.

"Huh?" Harry looked down at the snake which was practically purring. "Nothing, I think it's just enjoying my body heat. Wherever they came from, they're used to warmer weather."

"India, Great Uncle Sapera collects snakes there, and was willing to part with quite a few. I ordered several hundred mice to feed them, but they haven't arrived yet." Gomez frowned as he said the last part. "Sorry about that, they were supposed to be here by this morning."

"They did come." Pugsley said casually as he untied one of the doxies. "Luna asked Lurch to do something with the crates, don't remember what."

"Do you know where she is?" Harry asked, eager to find food for his perfect guards.

Instead of answering, Pugsley slowly worked his way behind his sister who had returned to her reading. He held the doxie he'd untied carefully by it's wings, and was reaching out toward her exposed neck.

"I believe she's in her room with Thing." Wednesday said before lightly closing the thick book, and swinging it in a forceful arc behind her.

Dust erupted from the old tome as it struck Pugsley on his temple. The doxie flew off, rapidly seeking freedom, as Pugsley's hand went limp, and he fell to the floor unconscious.

"Thanks." Harry said simply, then addressed the others. "I've got Pettigrew tied up in the far corner of the basement. I've asked my little friends to keep him from escaping, so I'm going to let them out and show them where he is. A few of them might go exploring every now and then, so if you see one, please don't hurt it."

They watched with interest as Harry hissed at the snake on his wrist, and walked back to the pen. Harry opened the gate, and a living river of serpents flowed behind him like a writhing shadow. A few of the more adventurous ones slithered up his legs as he walked them toward the basement.

-o-o-

Peter Pettigrew moaned as he slowly woke up. The last thing he remembered was his master telling him that he had a special mission. His master told him that it was vital, and only he could successfully complete this task. Only Peter couldn't remember what the task was.

Groggy for some reason, he gradually took in where he was. He was hanging by his wrists, which were tightly bound by ropes. There was an unpleasant musty damp smell, and it was uncomfortably warm. There was a sound which he couldn't quite place, similar to the creepy slithering of Nagini, but not exactly. Finally, he cracked open his eyes to see Lily's emerald gaze boring into him.

Shocked fully awake, his eyes opened completely, and he nearly lost control of his bowels at the sight. Harry, not Lily, was staring at him from below. There was a hungry eagerness in his features, complete with a half-grin. He'd seen that look before on Bellatrix when she was preparing to torture someone.

"I've got you now Peter, and you won't be escaping this time." Harry said, his grin growing wide as he moved back to let the suspended man see the floor. "I really wouldn't suggest turning into a rat, they're rather hungry right now."

Pettigrew whimpered piteously as he saw that the floor was moving. Centered on him, was a circle of writhing snakes, slithering over each other just inches below his dangling feet. Instinctively, he pulled his legs up to distance himself from the horror below.

"They aren't supposed to hurt you unless you try to escape, but I wouldn't risk it if I was you." Harry said with an insane chuckle. "The warming charm I've cast is where you're allowed to be. Move outside of it, and I'm afraid my little friends will have to give you a few bites. They tell me that they are all venomous, and quite deadly."

Carefully, so as not to hurt any of the snakes, Harry shuffled out of the circle of warmth, and waved goodbye. "Don't worry Peter, I'll come visit you soon enough."

As he walked away, several snakes slithered down his legs, and fled back to the warmth of the circle below Pettigrew. The dangling wizard sobbed unintelligibly as he tried to keep his feet aloft, but he was already starting to tire.

-o-o-

Harry knocked on the door to Luna's room. Hearing her serene voice grant him entry, he opened the door to have dozens of little mice scurry past him, and escape down the hall. Harry couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Luna. She had released all of the mice, and sat on the floor to play with them. They were crawling all over her, as well as running around her entire room.

"Would you like to join us Harry?" She asked as though she were offering him a cup of tea.

"Us?" Harry asked, he couldn't see anyone else in the room. Unless of course she meant the mice.

"Why Thing and I of course." She said, and looked down. "Hmm, that's odd, he was here a second ago."

Noticing a bulge on the floor, Harry reached down, and pulled the severed hand out from the pile of mice. "I think he's a little too short to play like this." Harry laughed, and let the hand leap onto Luna's head, which was the only mouse-free part of her.

"Thank you Harry. They are a bit more enthusiastic than I was expecting, but this is rather fun." Luna said with a bright smile.

"I almost hate to ask this, but you do know these mice are supposed to be food for my snakes right?" Harry said as he lifted his arm, revealing the snake wrapped around his wrist.

"Oh." Luna said, but thankfully her smile did not falter. "Well, that's okay. They aren't very good conversationalists anyway."

Noticing that more and more mice were escaping the room, Harry shook his head. "Well, I guess the snakes will have to hunt for their food. They might even prefer it that way. I guess I'll leave you two alone, and go tell the snakes where they can find their dinner."

"Okay Harry. Don't worry, I won't stop them when they eat the mice in here." She said as she held up a mouse that was wearing a tiny dress. "They aren't very good at playing any of the games I've tried so far, so I won't miss them.

-o-o-

Harry opened the door to his room, and noted that something was off. Looking around it hit him, there were more items in the room than his own belongings. A headless doll sat on his dresser, leaning against the mirror, and laying next to the doll was an ivory handled hairbrush. An extra pillow was on the bed, and a book was on a nightstand that wasn't there before.

"I figured that there really wasn't any point pretending we weren't spending every night together." Wednesday said as she pressed herself against his back, and ran her hand up his chest.

"I never should have told you how I saw you in the shadows back then." Harry said ruefully. "I'm never going to be able to catch you sneaking up on me again, am I?"

"As if that's a bad thing." She whispered before nipping his ear with her sharp teeth. "But first, I have a few questions for you."

He was enjoying the feel of her body molding to his own, the sharp pain in his ear only added to that, so he was disappointed when she pushed him away, and walked around to sit on his bed. Their bed now, he supposed.

His breath caught as he took in the sight of her. Surprisingly, this was the first time he'd actually seen her dressed for bed. Her lace panties were clearly visible underneath a body-hugging sheer black nightgown, and a corset that looked impossibly tight drew his attention to the swell of her breasts.

"I visited Pettigrew just now, and I'm impressed. You haven't even done anything to him yet, and he's crying, literally. I've never seen a more pathetic man. What do you have planned for him, and can I play too?"

Tearing his eyes away from her cleavage, he walked over to his dresser, and began his own nighttime routine. "To be honest, I have so many ideas that I don't know where to start." He admitted as he undressed, keeping his eyes glued to her petite form in his mirror. "I want to enjoy his suffering as long as I can, so your help would be welcome, appreciated even."

"Oh!" He exclaimed as he noticed the snake still wrapped around his arm. "Do you have any ideas for a good thank you gift? The ambassador here and his friends were just what I wanted. I really need to get your father and Grandmother something special."

"The ambassador?" Wednesday raised her brow in amusement. "Well, I know father doesn't want anything in return. He's been bitten three times already, and says the venom is wonderfully potent. As for Grandmama, I think she just likes surprising you."

"Still, I'll have to do something. Maybe when we go shopping for Hogwarts, I'll find something good." He finished buttoning up his pajamas, idly wondering whether or not he would actually be wearing them come morning. "Is that as uncomfortable as it looks?" He asked as he turned to face her.

"The corset? It's excruciating." She said calmly, watching him light a small candelabra, and then turn off the gas lights. "The seamstress tried to tell me it was supposed to be comfortable, but I knew better. Speaking of excruciating pain, what was that spell? You used it on that one wizard with the magic eye, and then Voldemort used it on the hook-nosed wizard."

"The cruciatus? I'm not one hundred percent sure what it does exactly, but I know It induces blinding pain. It can drive a man mad, shattering his mind if held under it too long. It's also one of the unforgivables, forbidden spells that are supposedly pure evil." He explained as he set the candelabra down on his nightstand, and placed his wand next to it.

Wednesday licked her lips at the description. She wondered what it would feel like to be on the receiving end of that spell, perhaps she'd ask him about that possibility later. He seemed interested in actually sleeping tonight. As Harry lifted the covers, she moved to join him underneath them. The room became pitch black as the candles were snuffed out, and she suddenly found herself in his embrace. She had no idea what her father had said to him, but ever since that day, Harry had grown more assertive, and much less hesitant.

Her breathing quickened as his lips pressed against her exposed neck. His one hand took hold of her hair, pulling her head back to give him greater access, even as his other hand slid along her leg. The thin fabric of the nightgown only added to the experience. Between his attention, and the constricting presence of her corset, she felt herself grow more aroused. Breathing became difficult, as his hand explored every inch of her through her nightgown.

As attractive as he'd found her sheer nightwear, it now felt more in the way than anything. Letting go of her hair, he grasped the fabric with both hands, and pulled the nightgown up until it was bunched around her waist. Her arousal was obvious as his unimpeded hand found its way between her legs.

Wednesday's head was swimming. This was the first time she'd worn this corset, and between the lack of air, the constricting pain, and Harry's ministrations, she could hardly think through the haze of pleasure. She barely noticed when he slid her panties off, but couldn't stop herself from crying out as she felt him inside of her.

Harry once again used her hair to pull Wednesday's head back. He was enjoying the sound of her moaning and gasping for air, even more than the feeling of joining with her. In the darkness he grinned ferally, and managed to grab his wand.

She could feel herself rapidly approaching release, and her chest fought against the corset in a battle for oxygen. Suddenly, through everything she felt a sharp jab in her side, and heard Harry whisper in her ear.

"Crucio."

Harry nearly lost a hold of his wand as Wednesday violently bucked and screamed. Her climax was forceful, and drove him to finish in an instant. Between his own release and her writhing, Harry lost control of the curse, and it ended nearly as soon as it began. Her screams however, did not fade, nor did she stop thrashing.

The world exploded around her, and Wednesday felt every nerve catch fire. She couldn't tell the subtle difference between pain and pleasure anymore, everything felt so wonderful. The leather thongs holding her corset tight gave way under the pressure, and her lungs filled with air, only to empty as she cried out in pleasure with abandon. Drained, she slowly stilled. The only movement being the heaving of her chest as she breathed heavily, no longer constrained by her lingerie.

Harry slid away from Wednesday slightly, letting her roll onto her back. In the darkness, he could hear her labored breaths slowly steadying. Before long, he could tell she had fallen asleep from the rhythmic sound of her breathing.

Harry laid there, awake for several more minutes. He wasn't quite sure when it happened, but Gomez was absolutely right, he loved Wednesday. He chuckled softly to himself. Somehow he didn't think Dumbledore would approve of his version of 'the power he knows not.' Though, the question that kept him awake was: Did Wednesday love him as well? Thinking back on the time that they had spent together, and what he knew about her, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. Of course she did. If she didn't, then she would have killed him by now. The matter settled in his mind, he easily drifted off to sleep.

-o-o-

Author's note:

To guest reviewing chapter 9: "'I'll let Lurch know to expect your scarred friend, and let him in.' What scarred friend?" – I was referring to Asclepius stopping by to pick up Harry, and take him to Voldemort. Asclepius is heavily scarred because Harry carved him up back in chapter 4.

To guest reviewing chapter 9: "Get Gomez for Dark Arts teacher with Granny Frump helping" – The Addamses cannot use wands. Considering I have witchcraft traditionally practiced by the Addams women, Gomez knows little about magic anyway.

To Mizu reviewing chapter 9: I hope you liked the rest of the Black reunion, it turned out longer than I expected.

Being a double agent, regardless of which side you're really on, doesn't really give you a high chance of survival. Granted this is just about the worst way for things to end for Snape. I'll bet he really wishes Voldemort was angry enough to just kill him outright.

The school board/governors and/or the ministry need to okay the next DADA professor. Since Remus was publicly outed as a werewolf back in '94, I can't see them hiring him again. Especially since Umbridge has drummed up so much anti-werewolf sentiment as of late.

Tonks has had the reality of the situation laid out clearly for her. Time will tell if she's going to accept it or not.

To Null Reviewing chapter 9: Your thoughts on possible professors and their subjects have been noted, and are appreciated.


	11. Getting ready for school

Author's note: The teaching positions are all filled. You should see all of the changes that have been made by the end of the next chapter. There has been more push for an Addams DADA professor than anyone else, but I'm going to have to partially disappoint a bunch of you. As a consolation prize, an Addams will teach at Hogwarts, just not as DADA professor.

Big thank yous to everyone who's reading. This story now has over a thousand favorites and follows, which quite frankly I am stunned by. Extra special thanks to those who review. You guys are the greatest.

-o-o-

Chapter 11

Getting ready for school.

-o-o-

Griselda Marchbanks was lost in thought as she looked over the headache that had been dumped into her lap. It was still hard for her to believe that Albus Dumbledore of all people had been essentially banned from ever being a teacher again. Still, regardless of whether his forced retirement was justified or not, she was tasked with appointing his replacement. Then she and the new headmaster would, with the support of the Hogwarts governors, review each teaching position, and ensure there was a competent, if not quality, professor in place.

The task in and of itself was not such a daunting one, but the start of the school year was less than a month away. There wasn't enough time to give the job the attention it needed. Sighing, she took a sip of her tea, wishing that it was something stronger.

Minerva McGonagall was an exemplary professor, with a nearly spotless record. As the deputy headmistress, she was the obvious choice to replace Albus. Griselda paused as she thought about her years of working for the ministry's department of education. She'd been supervising OWLs and NEWTs for the better part of a century, and had seen firsthand how Hogwarts had become less than acceptable in certain areas. No, even with the time crunch, this was not the time to maintain the status quo.

She looked up from her desk, and focused her attention on her long time coworker. "Solomon?"

Professor Solomon Tofty looked up from where he was dealing with his own headache, glad for the momentary distraction. "Yes Griselda, what can I do for you?"

"Are you still interested in escaping the drudge work that comes with a ministry position?" She asked the former educator.

He gave a rueful laugh. "I am indeed, but what option do I have? I don't want to give up my position on the examination board. This rubbish unfortunately comes with that job."

"It's dealing with the children that you don't want to give up correct?" She said, leading him along.

"Why, yes. I suppose that is it, on some level anyway. I miss teaching, but becoming a private tutor is more trouble than it's worth. Anyway, if I'm to be honest, I can't keep up with the modern innovations in arithmancy to teach it properly anymore. From here, my only option is retirement, and I'm not ready for that yet." He scrunched his face in disgust. "Though some days, it's very tempting."

Griselda smiled at her friend and coworker. "I have just the answer for you." With a flick of her wand, she sent a piece of parchment sailing through the air, and into Professor Tofty's hands.

He took a few moments to read through the parchment, and looked up at his friend incredulously. "Are you suggesting that I replace Albus Dumbledore?"

She listed her reasons, ticking each one off on her fingers, a smug grin on her face all the while. "You would once more be in a position to mold young minds, your wisdom is far more important than being able to keep up with new arithmantic equations, your proven trustworthy nature is needed to alleviate concerns following Albus' scandalous removal, and most importantly, you'll have a deputy to help you deal with the more bothersome paperwork that comes with the job."

He opened his mouth to refuse the offer out of hand, but caught himself. Thinking hard, he looked around the cramped office of the education department. "Minerva is a fine professor, and next in line for the job. Everyone knows she's been prepared for the position for years now. Why not her?"

"Solomon, you know that I admire Albus immensely; however, at this time his name is an anathema." She shook her head. "I have no doubt that in time he will once more be respected as he should be, but for now everyone is working to distance themselves from him. Minerva was my first thought, but she has been groomed for the position by Albus personally. Besides, I think it's time for a sweeping change."

She sent another parchment over to Professor Tofty. Then summarized what was written on it. "Should you agree to my proposal, we will be auditing every position in Hogwarts. With the approval of the board of governors, we will be tasked with ensuring that the children have a proper education. Well Solomon, what do you say?"

"I say that this sounds an awful lot like what Cornelius and that horrible Umbridge woman tried to do last year." He said with a frown.

She nodded in agreement. "Yes, but even horrible people can have good ideas."

He looked at the parchments in front of him, and then to his friends hopeful face. Closing his eyes, he weighed his options, and thought about what the position would mean for him. "Very well Griselda. Assuming the board of governors approve of me, I will accept."

-o-o-

Black smoke rose into the sky, pouring out of every window of what used to be a rather nice house. Fortunately the owners of said house happened to be on vacation, and were perfectly safe, despite now being homeless.

Several blocks over, a rotund wizard steadied himself against a hedgerow, gasping for air. Looking back, he paled as he saw the Dark Mark form above the home he'd been hiding out in. They'd finally stopped trying to recruit him, and now the Death Eaters were just trying to kill him. He'd barely escaped this time. Running from hiding place to hiding place was no longer a viable option for survival.

Horace Slughorn wiped his sweating brow with the sleeve of his robe, and thought about his options. He could always try to reach the continent, but chances were that they would be expecting that. Maybe he should have taken Albus up on his offer. Hogwarts may be the safest place for him at this point. Making his decision, he calmed himself down, and disapparated.

-o-o-

Gomez smiled as he spoke with Grabnach over the best sort of donation to grease the wheels, and get Wednesday enrolled in Hogwarts for the upcoming semester. "It's not too little is it? I'm afraid I'm used to dealing with... what's the term again... ah, muggles!"

Grabnach shook his head in disbelief. The goblins paid attention to where money went, even when it technically had nothing to do with them. In preparation for this meeting, he'd looked up previous donations to the school. The amount that Gomez was worried wouldn't be sufficient, was more than even Lucius Malfoy had donated. Doing the math quickly in his head, Grabnach realized that all of Malfoy's donations didn't add up to the massive bribe that Gomez was planning.

"I believe that with this amount, you would be allowed to get away with murder. There should be no issue enrolling your daughter." The young account manager said without thinking.

Gomez's eyes lit up, and a small smirk settled on his face. "Really? I'll have to let Wednesday know that. Usually that kind of allowance involves blackmail."

The goblin's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "Forgive me, I meant that as a figure of speech. Killing is frowned upon in human society."

"Human society... hmm... What about goblin, what do your people think of random murder?" Gomez asked with genuine curiosity.

Grabnach gulped. His accursed tongue was going to get him killed. "Random killing is not tolerated... However, killing in a formal duel, or because of a clan feud, is acceptable."

"Capitol! The more I learn, the more I like goblins. You really are vicious beasts." Gomez said as he eyed a long thin sword that was displayed on the wall. It was somewhere between a rapier and a longsword. "May I?" He asked as he hovered his hand over the handle.

"Of... Of course." The goblin said, desperately trying to calm himself. Gomez was far more rational, and less impulsive than his older brother. Chances were this Addams wouldn't kill him... He hoped. "That sword was forged by my ancestor for a wizard over a thousand years ago. My great grandfather reclaimed it from the carcass of that wizard's descendant."

"Ah, yes I remember. Your concept of ownership differs from ours. That must cause some interesting arguments." Gomez said as he took down the sword. Swinging it through the air, he smiled widely. While it looked heavier than the rapiers he was accustomed to, it was in fact lighter. He took off his suit jacket, and hung it where the sword had been. "Care for some fun old man? I know you keep an axe behind that desk."

Well, at least his family would be compensated for his death. Grabnach thought morosely as he reached under his desk for his small axe and buckler.

Before Grabnach could confirm his reluctant willingness, he was forced to duck as the sword whistled through the air where his neck had been a moment before. Launching himself back with a tight grip on his weapon, he slid the buckler onto his arm. His fear vanished and his senses grew sharp. He knew he was in a fight for his very life, and his blood boiled with anticipation. In an instant, he went from a nervous account manager to a deadly goblin warrior.

Gomez laughed sharply. "Well done!" He then lunged forward, leaping over the desk with a single flip he landed just in time to parry a counter attack aimed at his knee. "Fantastic!"

-o-o-

The muffled sound of goblin steel striking goblin steel echoed down the hallway. Bookbinder stepped out of his office to find out what the noise was, and he shook his head as he heard the mad laughter of the Addams man. He turned back to his work, and thought about who would replace Grabnach as the Addams/Black account manager. Hopefully young Grabnach would die well.

-o-o-

With a swirl and flick of his wrist, Gomez tore the axe from Grabnach's grip, and sent it flying through the air to embed itself in the door. Before he could bring the tip of the sword around to end the match, the battle-frenzied goblin lashed out with his claws.

Three deep furrows appeared across Gomez's chest, and dark red blood poured freely from the wound. Gomez widened his eyes in genuine surprise and admiration before thrusting with the sword, and pinning Grabnach to his own desk.

"Excellent match old man, first blood goes to you, but I believe the match is mine." Gomez said as he took off his shredded shirt and used it as a makeshift bandage to staunch the flow of blood. "Next time, I won't make the mistake of thinking a disarmed goblin is a defeated goblin."

Grabnach came down from his frenzy, and pain blossomed where the sword had pierced his shoulder. He had seriously injured his client, but instead of being furious, Gomez was happy, ecstatic even. He carefully gripped the sword, and with a sharp tug pulled it free of the desk and his body.

Setting the bloody sword down on his desk, Grabnach carefully asked, "Will there be anything else today Mister Addams?" He gripped his shoulder tightly to slow his own bleeding, and fervently hoped his ordeal was over for the day.

-o-o-

Gomez walked down the steps of Gringotts with a wide smile on his face. Those goblins were his kind of people. He whistled merely as he sauntered down the middle of Diagon alley toward the Leaky Cauldron where his daughter, Harry, and Luna were waiting for him.

As he walked, he reflected on the young man who had managed to get his hands on his daughter's heart. When he had first met the lad, there was something about him no doubt, but he wasn't quite their sort of person. Serendipitously, Harry had hidden depth that was cruel, twisted, and frightening. With the aid of Grandmama's special brew, he had turned out to be the kind of man Gomez would be proud to call son.

Smiling, Gomez thought about that morning. He had asked Harry if he wanted to disguise himself again for today's errands. The young man had thought for a few moments, shook his head and said there was no point. Life wasn't worth living if he was going to hide all of the time. If the worst happened, Harry figured he could always bite off his own tongue.

Reaching the end of the alleyway, Gomez sidestepped past a witch who was entering the alley. As the brick wall closed itself behind him, he made his way into the tavern, and up the stairs to the private room he'd bought earlier. He noted as he reached for the handle, that the proprietor had affixed a brass sign saying 'Addams' to the door. It had taken some negotiating, but the amount of gold Gomez placed it the pub owners hands convinced him to permanently reserve the room for their convenience.

"No, if you hold the arm like that, then I can do this." Wednesday said as she twisted around, reversing the hold Harry had on her, and driving his face into the floor. "Hello father, did everything go well with the goblins?"

Gomez was always happy to see the children playing. Wednesday had had Harry's arm twisted to the very edge of its breaking point, and her boot was grinding his face into the polished wooden floor. Sitting on the bed, Luna watched dreamily with a gentle smile and almost unfocused eyes.

"We couldn't ask for a finer manager. He assured me that we should have no problem getting you enrolled, he's been putting our money here to work, and he managed to take a pint of my blood." Gomez answered with a smile as he unbuttoned his jacket to display his blood-soaked bandage. "He doesn't look it, but Grabnach is a killer."

Wednesday released Harry, letting him pick himself up and dust himself off. "Are we heading to Hogwarts next then?" She asked while smoothing out her dress.

Buttoning up his jacket, Gomez nodded. "First Hogwarts, then back here to buy all of your supplies."

"We'll use the floo to go to Hogsmead." Harry explained as he put on his outer robes. "From there we can walk to the castle."

"Did your father mention when he would return?" Gomez asked as he addressed Luna. "You could come with us if it won't be for a while yet."

Luna shook here head side to side, and hopped down off the bed. "Daddy only said he'd be back today, and that he finally found proof that Crumple-Horned Snorkacks exist. Don't worry about me, I'm sure daddy will be here soon."

Bidding the blonde witch goodbye, the others headed out.

-o-o-

Madam Rosmerta put on her cheerful hostess smile as her fireplace flared green. The day had been rather slow, so hopefully whoever it was would stay for a pint. Chances were though, that whoever it was, was only using her fireplace as a means to reach Hogwarts.

She saw a wizard slide out of the flames and across the floor, which was an odd sight. Usually only small children flooed that poorly. Even stranger, was that the wizard curled into a ball, and rolled up to his feet almost gracefully.

Rosmerta watched in interest as the fireplace flared twice more, and two more people simply walked out of the flames. They looked to be muggles by their clothing, but that more likely meant they were muggleborn.

"Welcome to the Three Broomsticks. Can I get you folks some lunch, or perhaps you'd like a drink?" Rosmerta said cheerfully. A happy hostess inspired people to spend more, so she always tried to at least appear happy and friendly.

"Sorry Madam Rosmerta." Harry said as he turned to face her. "We're just passing through today."

"Oh! Harry Potter, I didn't recognize you." Rosmerta said as soon as she saw his face. "Who are your friends Harry?"

Dusting himself off, and ignoring being addressed as Potter, Harry gestured to each of his companions. "This is my girlfriend Wednesday Addams, and her father Gomez." Waving his hand over to the barmaid, Harry finished his introduction. "This is Madam Rosmerta, she owns this place."

"Girlfriend? There are going to be dozens of broken hearts when that news spreads." Rosmerta teased with a wink. "A pleasure to meet you both, are you sure I can't interest anyone in a butterbeer or two?"

Knowing that the friendly owner of the tavern would continue to talk until they either left, or bought something, Harry ushered everyone outside, and said goodbye.

As he led them toward the castle, Harry gave both Wednesday and her father a slightly annoyed look. "How is it that you two managed to floo so gracefully? I thought you hadn't done it before."

"It wasn't exactly difficult. You walk in one fireplace, and walk out the other one." Wednesday answered simply.

Harry shook his head ruefully. Apparently he was just rubbish at using the floo. "What did the letter you got back say again?" He asked Gomez who had borrowed Hedwig the other day to set up an appointment to enroll Wednesday.

"That the new headmaster would meet with us in the Great Hall." Gomez answered.

"Strange, it sounds like Dumbledore isn't headmaster anymore. That's a good thing I suppose, but I wonder why? For that matter, I wonder who's his replacement." Harry mused.

"Perhaps the woman who replaced him last year, Umbridge I believe." Wednesday guessed. "She's the one who tortured you right?"

"Yes, she's one who gave me this scar." Harry said as he lifted his hand. "She's evil, manipulative, and hates me with a passion. But no, I don't think we'll be that lucky. It's probably McGonagall."

They spent the rest of the walk chatting about unimportant things, figuring that they would find out who it was soon enough anyway.

-o-o-

While the headmaster's office had been completely fixed, Solomon Tofty opted to use the head table in the Great Hall as his temporary desk until September rolled around. He did this mainly for two reasons. First, he had a great deal of preparation to do, and a great number of meetings to go through. The Great Hall was the easiest place in the castle to reach, and the head table was large enough so that he didn't actually have to put anything away until he was completely done with it. Second, and the reason he cited in jest as his primary one, was that it made it easier for him to eat while he worked. Since he had so much work to do, and little time to do it, he often worked through meals.

Hearing the doors creak open, Headmaster Tofty looked up from his work, and smiled at the three approaching figures. This was exactly why he was braving the mountain of paperwork in front of him. Once again working with eager to learn young minds.

"Mister Addams I presume? And this must be your daughter Wednesday." The aged educator stood and summoned three chairs for everyone to sit opposite him. "It's wonderful to see you again as well Mister Potter... my apologies... Mister Black. Though I'm afraid I didn't realize that you would be coming.

"You're one of the ministry examiners aren't you?" Harry asked, trying to place the man. "You were there for my OWL's."

"Yes, that's correct. I used to be on the examination board, but now I'm headmaster. After the unpleasantness with Professor Dumbledore, the ministry and the school governors have been working in concert to change a few things around here." Tofty explained. "In fact it's my experience on the examination board that made me so willing to allow Miss Addams to test in, during what should be her sixth year."

The newly minted headmaster handed a large scroll to Wednesday. "This will give me a good idea of your grasp of the theoretical portions of the courses you've shown interest in. After you've finished it, we can go into the adjoining room, and test your practical understanding of the subjects." He pointed over to the Ravenclaw table. "You'll find a quill, ink bottle, and scrap parchment over there. Do not rush, but be mindful that as soon as you open that scroll, you will have one half-hour to finish each section. The scroll is enchanted a bit more than the average test, and as each section's time limit expires, it will no longer accept ink."

Wednesday simply took the scroll, walked over to where she had been directed, and cracked the wax seal. Soon the scratching of her quill signaled that she was well underway.

Tofty turned his attention to Harry and Gomez. "Now, before we get into the details of Miss Addams' enrollment, what can I do for you Mister P... Black?"

"I'm mainly just here as a guide." Harry admitted. "I would like to add Care of Magical Creatures to the list of classes I'm taking this year though. If it helps, I got an E on my OWL."

"I'm sure there won't be any trouble with that." Tofty assured him. "Within the first two weeks, students are able to alter their schedules if they decide to drop a class, or take a different one. This is not an uncommon occurrence for sixth year students. NEWT courses are entirely different in terms of difficulty, so there are almost always one or two students who wind up changing what classes they're taking."

Headmaster Tofty turned to Gomez. "Now then Mister Addams, I would prefer that we go over your daughter's enrollment after she completes her entrance examination. Madam Marchbanks and I will be able to grade her in fairly short order, and we can be certain of what courses she qualifies for. The entire testing process may take some time though, so if you'd like you can come back in... let's say four hours?"

-o-o-

The test that Wednesday was taking, was essentially a condensed version of the OWL exam for each course she wished to take. As she finished each section, Wednesday wondered why she bothered studying so much beforehand. Except for the obvious British bias with the Magical Creature and Herbology portions, there was nothing here that she didn't already know from lessons with Grandmama.

Finishing a full hour early, she handed the now filled scroll over to Headmaster Tofty, who had returned to his work while waiting for her to finish.

"That was faster than I was expecting Miss Addams." Tofty exclaimed as he scanned the scroll to make sure it was complete. "You'll have to excuse me, I asked Madam Marchbanks to be here to proctor the practical portion of your exam, but she isn't due to be here for another ten minutes or so. I'd do it myself, but as I am no longer on the examination board, I cannot."

"Besides..." He said, gesturing at the mounds of work he still had to go through. "I'm pressed for time at the moment."

"I understand." Wednesday agreed with her usual lack of emotion. She walked over to find her boyfriend and father in a struggle for dominance.

Harry and Gomez had opted to wait for her, and had managed to procure a chess set. Deep into their third game, Wednesday watched with interest as Harry ordered his pawn to advance, blocking her father's bishop. The chess piece grumbled as it marched forward, complaining about being used as canon fodder.

In response, Gomez ordered his own pawn forward to try and force Harry's line open. With an eager smile, Harry had his knight destroy said pawn putting Gomez's king in check. The knight having moved, no longer blocked Harry's own bishop, which now threatened Gomez's queen. "That's check, and I do believe your queen is mine."

Studying the board, Gomez realized that he'd been had. The past dozen moves has been designed to subtly force him into a position where he would lose his queen. Ignoring his queen's angry rant, Gomez smiled at Harry with an eagerness of his own. "Well done old man, but the game is far from over!"

Engrossed in the battle between the two, Wednesday almost missed an elderly witch enter the Great Hall from one of the side passages. Leaving the men to their fun, she walked over to greet the witch. "Madam Marchbanks I presume?"

"Yes, and you must be Miss Addams." Marchbanks said with a nod. "If you're done already, we should jump right into it. I've had you practical tests set up since this morning."

-o-o-

The older witch led Wednesday into a decent sized room that was at the rear of the Great Hall. Inside were various partitions, preventing Wednesday from seeing what was to come. What was visible, was a large pen that took up a third of the room. Inside was what looked like a cross between a horse and an eagle.

"To start, I'd like you to tell me what this creature is, and then demonstrate how you would ride it. A single lap around the enclosure will be sufficient." Marchbanks explained, holding her hand out toward the beast.

"A hippogriff." Wednesday answered. "A proud creature that will only allow someone they can respect to approach."

With that simple explanation, Wednesday entered the pen, and closed the gate behind her. Instead of bowing to the hippogriff, as was normally done, she merely stared into its eyes. After a short staring contest of a few seconds, the creature knelt, and bowed its head low.

Madam Marchbanks could only look on in wonder as the girl somehow made the hippogriff bow to her for no apparent reason. Without saying a word, Miss Addams climbed on, and sat sidesaddle. Again without prompt, the winged beast sedately made a circuit of the enclosure.

"Miss Addams." Marchbanks started as Wednesday exited the pen. "While unorthodox, you certainly completed the task set before you. Now, if you would, how on earth did you do that."

"Respect can stem from a mutual appreciation, or fear." The pale girl explained. "I prefer to work with fear. Most animals can sense when they're in the presence of something more dangerous than they are."

"Right, well then, let's move on shall we?" Marchbanks said as she rolled that idea around in her head.

There were three tasks for each section, which Wednesday dealt with easily. Several times she would do so in a way that Madam Marchbanks had never seen before.

When told to carve and power a simple runic alarm in a clay tablet, she used drops of her own blood to activate each rune, instead of using her wand.

When asked to finish a strengthening solution, she added several ingredients that should have made the potion lethal, or at the very least, render her extremely ill. Instead, Wednesday was able to easily lift the statue after drinking the potion. Technically Madam Marchbanks should have tested the potion on herself as well since it wasn't the standard recipe, but the resulting solution was so foul smelling, she chalked it up to an inferior American recipe. Instead of testing it, she vanished the disgusting brew before it could stink up the entire room.

Madam Marchbanks nearly screamed when Wednesday transplanted an adolescent mandrake. Instead of first putting on hearing protection, she thrust her hand in the pot, and pulled up a very irate mandrake. The deadly plant was prevented from screaming by the girls thumb, which was jammed down the root's throat.

"Relying on earmuffs is a good way to get yourself killed." Wednesday explained as the plant gurgled and thrashed in her grip. "This way you aren't depending on a piece of equipment that could fail." With the same casual indifference she'd displayed the entire test, Wednesday planted the struggling mandrake into a larger pot.

Marchbanks thanked Merlin that after that, the divination portion was rather anti-climactic. "Be a dear, and tell headmaster Tofty to come back here so we can discuss your overall grade."

"Yes ma'am." Wednesday agreed as she left the room.

-o-o-

"They certainly do things differently over in the states." Tofty said as he pointed out Wednesday's paragraph explaining the care and feeding of an African strangler. "You would almost think she was suggesting it as a good pet."

"Something is different about her education. There's no doubt about that." Marchbanks agreed. "If it weren't for the fact that everything she did worked, I'd fail her outright. She should have been attacked by that hippogriff when she stared at it like that. Instead, the thing treated her as if she was its master."

"We can process this officially later, when we have more time. For now can we agree that she got at least straight E's? I would say she has a few O's, but there are too many deviations from the accepted solutions, even if they do work." Tofty handed the completed test scroll over, and moved to return to his workstation.

The headmaster paused at the door. "You know Griselda, one of the main reasons I agreed to do this job was to get out from under so much paperwork."

"Oh hush Solomon." Marchbanks admonished. "You know this is a one time thing. We're all horribly pressed for time. Albus left us a great big mess. I'm starting to think old age is getting to him."

At that statement, Tofty raised his brow. "Aren't you a good..."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean Solomon. I'm not a day over ninety nine. You know that." She said with a warning glare.

Walking out of the room, he chuckled under his breath inaudibly. "Sure, but you've been ninety nine for how many decades?"

-o-o-

Seeing no reason to chaperone the practically grown teenagers, Gomez had flooed directly home to Grimmauld place. This left Harry and Wednesday alone as they walked down Diagon alley, both intent on gathering their school supplies. Harry was also interested in finding a good gift for Gomez and Grandmama.

"That has to be the gaudiest store I've seen yet." Wednesday commented on a storefront that had a giant WWW prominently displayed. "It's painful to look at, should we see what it is?"

"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes" Harry read out loud with a grin. "I think we should. After all, I'm their main investor."

As they walked through the door a bell chimed, and a voice called out from the back of the store. "We just reopened for the day, feel free to look around, we'll be with you in a moment!"

They wandered around the store for a minute or so, before an irate pair of redheads came storming up to Harry.

Fred bodily shoved Harry into a shelving unit filled with muggle magic tricks as George pointed his wand at Wednesday to ensure she wouldn't interfere. Jabbing his wand under Harry's throat, Fred hissed angrily. "Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" Harry asked calmly, genuinely confused. He also noted that the twins each sported fresh scars, clearly marking them as no longer identical.

Deciding to let her boyfriend deal with whatever this was, Wednesday moved to peruse their other merchandise. George followed her with his wand, but seeing that she wasn't going to help Harry, didn't stop her.

"Do what? Do What!? You know damn well what you did!" Fred growled, pushing his wand into Harry's neck painfully. "It's because of you that Dad's in Saint Mungo's. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about." Harry said, completely undisturbed by Fred's threat.

"George and I are full Order members now, so don't try to play dumb. We know all about how dark you've gone." Fred was practically snarling he was so worked up. "Your Death Eater buddies attacked the Burrow. If dad hadn't held off Bellatrix Lestrange as long as he did, we'd all be dead."

Harry thought for a moment. "So that's what she meant. Bellatrix mentioned she had some blood traitors to kill, I didn't know she meant you. I'm impressed, I wouldn't think your dad could match Bella."

Fred looked stricken. It was as if he hadn't really believed that Harry had gone as dark as everyone said. Taking advantage of the redhead's moment of inattention, Harry muttered, "Depulso."

Fred was thrown through the air and past Wednesday, who merely raised an eyebrow at the sight.

The Weasley twins never noticed that Harry had brought his wand up during the conversation, and they both were caught so off guard that George was unable to react in time to dodge the jet of red light that came next.

Harry's disarming charm did its job, leaving George without his wand. Another jet of light, and the twin found himself unable to move.

"Stupefy!" Fred's voice rang out, and a jet of angry red light streaked toward Harry.

Harry stopped himself from smiling as the spell hit, and threw him back into the shelves behind him. He let himself slump to the ground.

Fred ran forward to revive his brother, but as soon as he reached George, his wand exploded in his hand. Clutching his bleeding hand, he looked up to see Harry fully conscious, and smiling the same way Bellatrix had that awful day.

"Incarcerous." Harry intoned as he walked forward. "Now then. As much fun as that was, I didn't send Bella or any other Death Eaters to the Burrow. I've removed myself from the war, and I really don't think Voldemort would like it if I tried to order his minions around. Care to tell me what happened, or should I just kill you and be done with it?"

Anger still painted on every feature, Fred explained what happened.

-o-o-

Saturday, August 3rd

The Order meeting finished up, and everyone flooed away, except for Dumbledore, who lingered. An owl swooped in through the open window, and dropped a package into Dumbledore's hands before leaving.

Nearly as cautious as Mad-Eye now, at least with mail, Dumbledore scanned the package with every spell he could think of, including one that had been developed back in the Grindelwald war that rendered muggle explosives inert. Finding the package clean, he opened it and nearly dropped it in shock. "Severus!" Dumbledore paled, and immediately ran to the floo.

"What do you suppose," George started to ask.

"That was all about?" Fred finished.

"No idea, but it can't be good." Bill pointed out. "You two should go get Ron and Ginny. Fleur and I will help mum in the kitchen."

As soon as the twins returned with their younger siblings, the house shook, and there was a flash of light as the wards fell. An anti-apparition jinx had been cast, so everyone ran to the fireplace. Before anyone could reach it, a curse sailed through the window to strike the jar containing floo powder. The jar exploded, scattering powder across the mantle and floor.

Everyone drew their wands, and turned to face the windows as more curses came from outside. Black robed figures advanced across the yard, sending jet after jet of different colored light at the house.

Both Ron and Ginny stepped forward, intent on facing the Death Eaters head on, only to be pulled back by the twins. Fred and George acted as one, shoving their younger siblings back toward the fireplace.

"Gather up the powder, we need to get out of here fast!" The twins ordered together.

Fred and George began casting defensively. Doing their best to protect their entire family, they firmly stood in front of Ron and Ginny while the rest of the adults concentrated on the incoming dark wizards.

An explosive curse struck near the window that Bill and Fleur were casting through. The resulting damage caused a section of the wall to blow in, and fall onto Bill. The eldest son collapsed, his head bleeding profusely. The twins' cries were drowned out by Fleurs enraged shriek.

Swearing sulfurously in French, Fleur began casting with an enraged fervor. The twins watched in awe as the French witch viciously downed one Death Eater after another. It almost seemed as if she would wipe out the attackers herself, until a laughing witch stepped into view, and began swatting away Fleur's spells with contemptuous ease.

Bellatrix Lestrange smiled evilly, and between deflecting spells, she cast a nearly black, bluish-colored curse at Fleur. When Fleur attempted to bat the dark spell away, it detonated, sending shards of midnight through the air.

Being at the center of the explosion, Fleur was flung back where the twins did their best to catch her even as the shrapnel cut into them. The two redheads steadfastly refused to move, shielding Ron and Ginny with their bodies.

Molly's shriek of outrage at seeing her babies injured and her eldest unconscious, was nearly deafening. From the window where she and Arthur were casting, the Weasley matriarch rushed to defend her children, her husband followed close behind with a grim look of determination.

Taking advantage of Molly's blind rage, Bellatrix summoned a jet of flame, which the Weasley mother could not stop herself from rushing into. Reaching into the flames, Arthur threw his wife toward his sons, and stood resolute between Bellatrix and his family.

"We've got enough!" Ginny yelled, as Ron threw the first handful into the fire.

Ron and Ginny worked feverishly to send each of their injured family members through to Saint Mungo's, starting with Bill's girlfriend, Fleur. Their mother was next, followed by Bill. When they urged the twins to go next, George shoved Ginny through the flames.

"You're next Ron, we'll be right behind you!" Fred yelled as he watched his father fight a losing battle with the most feared witch in all of Britain.

Knowing that their father was only standing because of sheer determination, Fred and George cast cutting curses on either side of him to distract Bellatrix. No words were needed between the twins. As George grabbed Arthur and sent him through the flames, Fred cast as fast as he could with whatever spell came to mind.

"Fred!" George yelled, and Fred dove into the fireplace. George threw the last of the collected powder, and followed his twin.

-o-o-

Harry looked thoughtful. "Now I'm really impressed. She didn't manage to kill any of you."

"Not for lack of trying you sick wanker." Fred spat. "Fleur's still recovering, and because the curse was dark, she'll never look the same again. Bill hasn't left her side. Mum will manage a full recovery, thank Merlin, but Dad might never wake up. He's been in the intensive care ward since Saturday."

"Well, she'll probably be punished for not killing anyone, so cheer up. I'll bet Voldemort had her under the cruciatus as soon as he found out." Harry said as he patted Fred's cheek.

"This looks interesting, how does Peruvian instant darkness powder work?" Wednesday said as she walked over to the incapacitated twins. "Harry, let them go, or else they won't be able to sell us anything."

"Hm, I suppose you're right, sorry about that." He apologized to his girlfriend as he released the redheaded store owners.

Fred and George looked at each other incredulously, and as one they voiced their disbelief. "After all that, you're just letting us go?"

"Would you prefer I kill you?" Harry asked with a short laugh. "My girlfriend wants to shop. Besides, it wouldn't be very smart for me to kill the owners of a business I've invested in."

"Just take it and get out of here." George said with disgust.

"But how does it work?" Wednesday asked again, holding a small bag in the air.

"Toss some in the air, and the room will fill with darkness." George said with a flat, unfriendly stare.

"One question." Fred said while massaging his injured hand. George looked at his twin, for once not knowing what he was going to say. "Since you really have gone dark, why does Dumbledore want the Order to capture you so bad? Why doesn't he want to let the aurors handle you?"

"Two reasons." Harry said with a smirk. "I don't think I've really done anything that the aurors would bother arresting me for. The real reason though, is that Dumbledore is convinced that I'm the only one who can kill Voldemort. The old bastard wants to brainwash me into being his little selfless hero."

With that, Harry and Wednesday headed out of the store. "By the way, those scars look good on you. I'll let Bella know she does good work."

-o-o-

Severus Snape stared up at the ceiling. Today was a rest day, and he hated it so much. He was given an extremely potent painkiller and healed somewhat. They also gave him some form of entertainment; today's was the wireless, which was tuned to a station that discussed advances in potion making.

One day of torture, one day of rest. At first he looked forward to the rest day, but soon he realized what a horror it truly was. The torture that followed was always worse, and the anticipation was maddening. As soon as he realized what the rest periods meant for his torture, he tried to provoke Bellatrix into killing him. Instead, she cut out his tongue.

His tongue wasn't the only part he was missing now. Asclepius had broken his wand in front of him, and then drove the pieces through his hands. Then the twisted man had removed his hands. Now no matter what, he always felt the phantom pain of his own wand piercing his palms.

Snape felt the tears form, and let them fall as he continued to stare at the ceiling. Maybe if he was lucky, they'd kill him tomorrow.

-o-o-

Author's note: Next chapter, they're off to Hogwarts!

To Bill, reviewing chapter 10: I'm glad my story inspires nostalgia. That tells me I'm doing something right.

Even though intellectually I know that this Harry is evil, I can't really bring myself to consider this an evil Harry fic. After all, Harry and the Addams family are just so loving and happy.

To Joel, reviewing chapter 10: I'll admit this Dumbledore is manipulative, but I'll argue that he is not evil. He has done evil things, but all to ensure that Harry would not grow up to be worse than Voldemort. Even then, he probably wouldn't have tried to modify Harry at all, if not for his belief that Harry is the only one capable of defeating Voldemort.

To stoopid dawg, reviewing chapter 7: There is no such thing as a late review. Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated even if they no longer can influence the story.

I'm glad you like how I've inserted Harry into the Addams family. It's not quite seamless, but they fit together well all the same.

To Guest, reviewing chapter 9: Assuming you mean Tonks, yeah... she's not handling things too well is she? You'd think that, as an auror she'd be able to process things more calmly.

To Guest, reviewing chapter 10: I could not imagine an Addams-ish Harry not taking full advantage of his Parseltongue skills. Thus, hundreds of snakes to play with.

To Mizu, reviewing chapter 10: First, thanks for continuing to review each chapter. It's always nice to see the same names pop up in the reviews.

You should see at least some of the Blacks' responses to Harry's plans for the family next chapter.

Dumbledore has no say regarding who gets hired to teach at Hogwarts now. He got stripped of his position as headmaster back in chapter 9. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear; you aren't the only one to not catch that. As of chapter 9, Dumbledore is just the leader of the Order of the Phoenix. He has no other positions of authority.


	12. Sorting the child of woe

Author's note: There are a few teaching positions that were directly influenced by reviews/messages. In fact, one reviewer is directly responsible for the new DADA Professor, (You'll know who you are, and thank you for the idea.) I felt they would be perfect for the job.

It took a surprising amount of tweaking to get this chapter close to acceptable. I threw in a lot of set up and foreshadowing, so it almost feels like filler to me. Either way, enjoy!

As always thank you for reading. Huge thanks to those who comment, critique, or leave any sort of review. You guys really make writing this story a genuine pleasure. Keep letting me know what you think. :)

-o-o-

Chapter 12

Sorting the child of woe.

-o-o-

As Harry walked down the aisle of the Hogwarts Express, he reflected on how different this year was going to be. Wednesday followed closely as they searched for a place to sit. If having a girlfriend wasn't enough of a change, who they would share a compartment with was an unknown, which hadn't been the case since his first year.

Looking through the glass of each compartment they walked past, revealed one that held his old friends. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were talking in hushed tones about something important, if Hermione's expression was any indication. The bushy-haired girl looked up as Harry was looking in, and he smirked as he saw her notice Wednesday beside him. Hermione paled and looked upset, but Harry didn't bother sticking around to see any further reaction.

Eventually the couple found the compartment that Luna had taken. Seeing no reason to look any further, they slid open the door to join their friend. They noticed as they entered that Luna was talking with Neville, who appeared pleased to see them both.

"It's good to see you again Harry. I'm sorry I didn't stop by at all this summer." Neville apologized. "Gran wouldn't let me leave the manor. After Professor Lupin stopped by, she decided it was too dangerous for me."

"That's ridiculous Neville." Harry disagreed as he and Wednesday sat down next to Luna. "You wouldn't have been in all that much danger. Luna spent the entire summer with us, and she managed just fine."

The girl in question just gave a dreamy smile in response, and pulled out an issue of her fathers publication, the Quibbler.

Neville shook his head. "No, Gran wasn't worried about that. It's funny really, she's proud of me for facing Death Eaters, so she wouldn't stop me from doing anything dangerous. Not that either of us think visiting you would actually be dangerous or anything. What she was worried about was Professor Dumbledore memory charming me."

"A reasonable fear." Wednesday nodded. "The body heals so much easier than the mind."

"I don't know, that potion fixed me up well enough." Harry pointed out.

"You were fortunate enough that Grandmama's special potion didn't kill you when it fixed your mind. Come to think of it so was the werewolf, but then maybe being a werewolf helped... I'll have to ask Grandmama." Wednesday trailed off as she pondered that line of thought.

Harry chuckled softly. "So... how many times have you guys tried to kill me that I haven't even noticed?"

"Hmm?" Wednesday abandoned her musing. "Grandmama wasn't necessarily trying to kill you, though wouldn't you prefer death over the way you were? You were trying to kill yourself when we met."

Seeing that Neville was starting to grow uncomfortable, Harry shifted the conversation back to him. "So I guess you and your grandmother are getting along better now?"

"Uh, well we've always loved each other, I mean we are family and all, but yeah. Until recently we didn't exactly see eye to eye. I talked a lot with Gran over the holiday. There's so much about her I didn't know." Neville looked at Wednesday and gave a rueful smile. "I had always thought Gran despised dark wizards, but it turns out she's actually good friends with quite a few. She was even best friends with Malfoy's grandmother. I nearly choked when she told me that one."

"Light and dark are just two sides of the same galleon." Luna said dreamily without looking up. "Hogwarts is a very light oriented school, so we're taught to abhor the dark, even though roughly half of the students are from dark families." She tilted her head and her voice grew clear for a moment. "I wonder if there would be less house rivalry if both perspectives were taught?"

"Gran said something like that." Neville agreed. "She told me how one of the things she missed most was arguing politics with her friends. She says the Wizengamot hasn't been the same since Dumbledore was elected chief warlock way back when."

"I assume this means I no longer frighten you?" Wednesday asked with mild interest.

Neville laughed. "No offense, you're one scary witch, but my Gran scares me a lot more. She says I'd be a fool to let a friend like harry go just because he's a dark wizard. Anyway, Harry's not a wanker like Malfoy."

The compartment door slid open, and the blond boy in question stood in the doorway with his customary sneer. "I'm heartbroken Longbottom. I truly don't know how I'll cope without your friendship."

Draco looked at Harry, the sneer sliding off of his face. Wearing a blank expression he said, "Black, we need to talk." Looking around at the others he added, "In private."

Neville stood up, confidence and determination showing on his face. Gone was the timid boy that was afraid of his own shadow. "What're you up to Malfoy?"

Harry slowly stood up, and placed a calming hand on Neville's shoulder. "Relax Nev." Facing Draco, he simply asked, "Family business?"

Draco nodded, and backed up into the hallway as Harry moved to join him.

-o-o-

Draco led Harry down to his own compartment, where Crabbe and Goyle were talking quietly as Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott were debating something rather heatedly.

Opening the door, Draco ordered everyone out. "Clear the room, we need privacy for a few minutes."

Crabbe and Goyle dutifully got up to leave without comment, Pansy looked confused, but Nott was annoyed.

"Sod off Draco. Just because those two will wipe your arse if you ordered them to, doesn't mean all of us will follow you blindly." Theodore said with disdain. "What could you possibly have to talk about with Potter anyway."

Draco looked sidelong at Harry who was calmly watching, perhaps wondering what Draco would do. "I wouldn't talk with Potter except to taunt him, but then this isn't Potter. If you actually paid attention to what goes on in the world, maybe you'd know that the Potter line is dead."

"Are you feeling alright Draco?" Pansy asked with concern mixed with confusion. "That's definitely Potter, but... Why's he just standing there smiling? It's kind of creepy."

Her eye's widened in understanding. "You've imperiused him." She whispered while holding her hand to her mouth in shock.

That was more than Harry could take. He started laughing, and slapped Draco on the back, nearly sending the blond wizard sprawling. "Go ahead Draco. I'm surprised you haven't already told your friends."

"He's the head of the Black family now." Draco said, unable to prevent his scowl. "Changed his name and everything. Now get out! We have family business to discuss, and neither of you are Blacks. I'll explain what happened after. This should only take a few minutes."

Reluctantly, Pansy and Theo joined Crabbe and Goyle in the hall. Draco shut the door as soon as Harry followed him in, and cast an imperturbable charm to prevent eavesdropping.

Disgust apparent on his face, Draco spoke. "The Dark Lord has given Aunt Bella and Uncle Rod leave to start a family. It's sickening the way they've been acting. Thankfully they've been spending most of their time at Lestrange manor, only showing up every now and again to help train recruits and torture some poor sod."

Harry smiled. "That's good, I wasn't sure if Voldemort would give Bella that sort of time. She is his best wand after all."

"Things have been going well for our cause." Draco said with a genuine grin. "Father says that the ministry is almost completely infiltrated, and Dumbledore's idiotic order has been in disarray ever since the Weasels lost their home."

"I don't really care about all that. I'm happy to hear that Bella is going along with my suggestion. How about you and your mother?" Harry asked, interest showing clearly on his face.

"You don't seriously expect me to be finalizing wedding plans already do you? I don't even have a girlfriend, despite Pansy's desperate wishes." Draco said carefully, remembering the feel of Harry's knife on his throat.

"No, of course not, but are you and your mother going to help expand the family?" Harry explained with a roll of his eyes.

Clearly uncomfortable, Draco nodded. "Yes, Mother insisted that I should bring it up as soon as I start getting serious with a witch worth my time. She uh, also mentioned that I should be getting a baby brother or sister just as soon as she can convince Father."

Harry smiled widely. "That's fantastic. Now I just need to hear from your other aunt. Hopefully she's been able to convince Nymphadora. It'd be a shame to have to kill her."

Harry canceled the charm on the door, and stepped out into the hall. "He's all yours. Family business is over with."

Pansy glared at Harry with her arms crossed. "What are you playing at Potter? Nobody changes this much over just a few months time."

Harry set his hand on Pansy's shoulder. "Draco can tell you all about it. You have no idea just how much has changed."

Harry squeezed her shoulder, driving his thumb into the muscle, and the girl gave a short cry of pain. "And the name is Black now, Potter is dead." He said calmly, despite the manic grin he sported as he walked off.

Unnerved, Pansy rubbed her shoulder and hurried into the compartment to confront Draco.

-o-o-

The Great Hall was filled with conversation, even more than usual. Many of the students were aware that change of some kind awaited them this year, but no one knew exactly what. Even the most well informed students only knew the identity of the new headmaster. There were even plenty of students, mostly muggleborns, that didn't even know that Dumbledore had lost his job.

Conversations ranged from speculation about what had happened to Dumbledore, to the new lineup of professors. Harry was pleased to note that almost nobody was talking about him. So far it seemed that only his friends, both current and former, had any idea that he had changed even more drastically than the faculty had.

Slowly the room grew silent as everyone noticed the new headmaster standing by the sorting hat. He was talking quietly to a girl who was clearly new, but just as clearly not a first year.

"I can't believe they let HER into Hogwarts" Hermione said quietly with a tinge of fear and loathing in her voice.

Ron nodded in agreement. "Looks like they're going to sort her. Don't know why they'd bother. She's a snake, it's bloody obvious."

"You sure about that mate?" Seamus asked after overhearing. "She's kind of cute in a weird way. I wouldn't mind seeing her in Gryffindor."

Both Hermione and Ron turned to look at Seamus disbelief apparent in their features.

"She's pure evil Seamus." Ginny said from nearby. "Trust us, you don't want anything to do with her."

Next to Ginny, Dean looked around. "Hey, where's Harry anyway? He always sits with you two."

Hermione's eyes darkened. "Because of HER. Harry's changed, and not for the better. I don't know where he is, but he wouldn't want to sit with us now anyway."

"Really? I just thought he was sitting with Katie Bell because of quidditch." Seamus said as he pointed to where the seventh years sat. Harry was chatting quietly with the veteran chaser, while Neville sat on Harry's other side. "Didn't really think why Neville was with them though."

Headmaster Tofty cleared his throat to capture the attention of the few who were not already watching. "As you all no doubt have discovered, there have been many changes to Hogwarts this year. I will save introductions for after the first years have been sorted, but before that we have a transfer student to sort."

All eyes fell on Wednesday who scanned the hall with a blank face.

"Professor McGonagall will be along shortly with the first years, so to be succinct this is Wednesday Addams. She has been home-schooled until now, and will be joining us for her final two years." He picked up the sorting hat, and hovered it over Wednesday's head. "Now let us see which house will gain this bright young woman."

The hat barely had time to touch Wednesday's mind before it called out in a clear voice, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Unsurprisingly, the Hufflepuff table burst into applause, while the other tables clapped politely. Wednesday silently walked over to the table of badgers, and sat in a space that opened up for her between Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other, mouths agape. "Hufflepuff?" They both said softly in disbelief.

-o-o-

Neville turned to face Harry, only slightly surprised that he was smiling broadly. "I would have thought you'd want her in Gryffindor. I didn't really think of where I thought she'd go, but I can't say I was expecting Hufflepuff."

"I was." Harry said with a knowing grin. "If you knew the Addams family as well as I do, then you'd have known it was a sure thing." He looked thoughtful for a moment. I guess she could go to the other houses as well, but I can't see her as a Gryffindor at all."

"Why's that?" Neville asked curiously. "I doubt she's afraid of anything. Seems like a Gryffindor quality to me."

"For the same reason I doubt I'd be a Gryffindor if they resorted me." Harry explained with a shrug. "It's impossible to be courageous if you literally aren't afraid in the first place."

-o-o-

"Those poor Puffs." Ron said shaking his head. "I don't know what she did to get sorted there, she probably bribed the hat to keep her out of Slytherin. You know, to make people think she's not dark."

Seamus looked at his housemates questioningly. "I don't know, she looks a bit weird, but I have a real hard time believing someone dark could ever be a Puff."

"Yeah guys, she just looks like a goth to me." Dean pointed out. He elaborated when it was apparent that the Weasleys were lost. "It's a muggle thing, they dress up in black clothes and sometime wear makeup to look pale and vampire-like. I don't get it myself, but it is a thing."

Their conversation was interrupted as Professor McGonagall led the first years in for their sorting. The hat sang as usual, once again preaching unity of the houses, followed by a brief description of each house's qualities.

Once the sorting was finished, Headmaster Tofty drew everyone's attention back to him by clapping as he stood. "There are many announcements to be made, but for now I believe dinner is the greater concern. Tuck-in"

It felt odd to hear someone other than Dumbledore start off the feast, but the food that appeared was no less delicious. Soon everyone was sated, and Tofty once more rose to address the students.

"As some of you know, I am Professor Solomon Tofty. Headmaster Dumbledore has decided to retire, and I have been given the honor of being his successor." He motioned to either side of him. "As returning students can see, there are many new faces among the faculty as well. Professors, if you'd please stand as I get to each of you."

"Rejoining us after coming out of retirement, is Professor Horace Slughorn, who will once more teach potions and be head of house for Slytherin. Many of your parents were taught by Professor Slughorn, and hopefully remember him fondly."

Applause filled the room, but Slytherin's clapping was somewhat subdued as many of the students wondered what happened to Professor Snape. The other houses more than made up for Slytherin's lack of enthusiasm, as they celebrated the absence of one of Hogwarts most hated teachers. Gryffindor in particular was energetic in their support of the returning professor.

"Joining us this year to teach defense against the dark arts is Professor Augusta Longbottom."

All of the students clapped politely, but as the position was always filled by a different professor, few could bring themselves to be too excited. Neville's expression was a mixture of pride and concern, thought whether he was concerned for his grandmother's safety, or having her as his professor was unclear even to him.

"Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank has agreed to join us full time to teach care of magical creatures. In addition, due to his profound talents, Professor Rubeus Hagrid will be staying on to assist Professor Grubbly-Plank, as well continuing his duties as groundskeeper."

The students as a whole seemed to approve of Hagrid's demotion, much to the half-giants discomfort. There were several conversations that sprang up, wondering why he was remaining as an assistant professor. No other course had one, and very few students actually enjoyed Hagrid's less than safe teaching methods.

"Taking time off from his career as an unspeakable, Professor Saul Croaker will be teaching history of magic."

There was silence for a few seconds as the implications set in. As the students realized that Professor Binns would no longer be trying to bore them to death, the Great Hall erupted with applause and cheering. That the new professor was an unspeakable just added to their enthusiasm.

"Joining us from America, Professor Esmeralda Frump will be taking over divination."

There was a mixed reaction. While many felt that the position could use a new teacher, others were loyal to Professor Trelawney or previous year's Professor Firenze. Some who took the time to look at the new divination professor were taken aback by her hag-like appearance. The applause trailed off almost completely when she smiled at the student body. There was something disturbing in how she looked out at everyone, and her yellowed grin only worsened the effect. Only Harry and Wednesday remained clapping, the former enthusiastically, and the later sedately.

"We have one final staff change. Madam Molly Weasley will be taking over as caretaker here at Hogwarts."

If the applause for Professor Croaker could be considered thunderous, Molly Weasley receive a standing ovation that was deafening. She could be seen at the side of the room, blushing at the enthusiasm that she knew was less for her, and more for the firing of Argus Filtch. Those who bothered to look, could see that both Ron and Ginny Weasley were blushing as well, out of embarrassment.

-o-o-

"Why didn't you mention that your grandmother was our DADA teacher?" Harry asked as he and Neville worked their way toward Gryffindor Tower.

"I was going to on the train, but then Malfoy showed up. After that, I just forgot about it." Neville responded with a shrug. "I don't know how this year is going to be with her teaching. I learned so much from you last year, I'd hate to do poorly just because of nerves. Not to mention, I really don't want to disappoint Gran now that she's proud of me."

"What about you?" Neville asked. "Did you know that Wednesday's grandmother was teaching?"

"I had no idea." Harry said as he shook his head. "That sneaky witch keeps surprising me. One of these days I'm going to get her, but I don't know how. Wednesday might have known, it's hard to tell with her though. You have to really surprise her to get a reaction."

"How come she's here anyway? I mean I get that she's your best friend now, but shouldn't her brother be here too, or is he a squib?"

Harry laughed softly. "You'll have to ask her for her reasoning, but you've got a couple things wrong Nev. One, she's my girlfriend now, not just my best friend; and two, they're all squibs, technically anyway. Granmama... Professor Frump would be able to explain it better than me."

"You've been living with your girlfriend?" Neville looked shocked. "What do her parents think of that?"

Chuckling deeply as he remembered the talk Gomez had given him, he answered with a grin. "Oh, I'd say they approve."

"What's this now, did I hear right?" A seventh year asked as he sidled up to Harry. "That cute little Hufflepuff is your girlfriend Potter?"

For a split second, a scowl flashed across Harry's face, only to vanish as he smiled once more. Only now, the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Black."

"What?" The seventh year looked puzzled.

"My name is Black, not Potter." Harry turned to look at Neville. "Maybe I should make an announcement in the common room, or maybe at breakfast tomorrow."

Turning back to the seventh year, Harry confirmed his relationship. "Her name is Wednesday, and yes she's my girlfriend. I wouldn't call her cute though. Who are you anyway?"

"Cormac McLaggen." The seventh year said with pride. "Just so you know, I'm going to be trying out for keeper this year, you should let your friend Weasley know that he's lost his spot on the team. Oh, and Potter... Black... Whatever... Not considering your own girlfriend cute is just poor form. If you're not careful, someone could steal her away from you."

As McLaggen walked off, Neville shook his head. "What an arse. I'm surprised you didn't react when he threatened to steal your girlfriend."

Harry laughed. "Let him try. It's his funeral if he tries to call her cute."

-o-o-

"What brings you to Hogwarts?" Hannah asked as she and Susan led Wednesday down to the Hufflepuff basement. "Wouldn't it be easier for you to go to Salem, or another American school?"

"Normally Grandmama teaches me everything I need to know, but my boyfriend and I were discussing magical creatures, and a friend of ours, Luna, brought up Professor Hagrid." Wednesday explained. "After hearing some of Harry's stories about Hogwarts, I decided I wanted to see it for myself. There's no rush for us to return home, so I tested into a few courses."

"Harry, as in Harry Potter?" Susan asked, unable to think of another Harry around their age. "You're dating the boy-who-lived?"

"No." Wednesday denied immediately. "His name is Harry Black now. He particularly dislikes that nickname as well."

"Black?" Both girls questioned at the same time, nearly blocking the entrance to the common room as they paused in shock.

Wednesday nodded. "Yes, he wanted to honor his godfather. There are other reasons, but I don't believe it's my place to explain."

The girls led Wednesday down to the sixth year girls dorm as the processed this new information.

Hannah chewed on her lower lip as she decided how best to phrase her next question. "Um, you do know it's dangerous to be too close with Harry right? I mean, he has told you about you-know-who, right?"

"It's also probably the worst time for you to be in Britain right now." Susan added with a strained smile. "With you-know-who back, it's super dangerous. Hogwarts should be safe, even without Dumbledore, but your family might be in danger. Are you pure-blood or Half-blood?"

"You mean Voldemort?" Wednesday managed the smallest of grins as the other two girls flinched slightly. "I doubt my family has anything to worry about. Besides, as far as dark lords go, Voldemort is fairly tame."

"I don't think you understand." Susan said, unintentionally raising her voice. "That... evil wizard wants to kill Harry, and will hurt you just to get at him. He'll kill anyone he thinks is in his way... and their whole family..." She trailed off, and just turned and walked away to sit on her bed. Swinging her legs up onto the mattress, she drew the privacy curtains closed around her.

Wednesday watched Susan retreat, and then looked at Hannah questioningly.

"You-know-who and his Death Eaters killed her entire family." Hannah said softly. "He killed half of them personally, including her aunt who raised her. He's killed a lot of families, wiped them out because they opposed him."

Wednesday frowned as Hannah left to go comfort her friend. She would have to have words with Voldemort. Killing an entire family, but leaving a single survivor, that was uncalled for. Sloppy work like that made her wonder about his competence, both as a killer and as a leader. He'd made the same mistake with Harry.

On the plus side, at least Hufflepuff wasn't as disgustingly cheery as she first thought when they entered the common room earlier. She still had to find out more about the house though, before she passed judgment.

-o-o-

"Is it just me, or is Loony even weirder than usual?"

"She looks like she's finally lost it completely."

"Are you kidding? She never had it to begin with, she just stopped pretending, that's all."

"C'mon, while she's busy reading that stupid magazine, lets go make sure she has a proper welcome back to Hogwarts."

Luna quietly sat in one of the comfier reading chairs, attempting to read her copy of the Quibbler sideways. It was challenging, but well worth the effort. After all, Luna was a true Ravenclaw. Learning how to do anything was a worthwhile goal in and of itself.

A pair of shrill screams could be heard coming from the girls dorms, followed by a seventh year witch, Emily Fairchild, running down the stairs so fast she nearly trampled a couple second years.

"What is the meaning of this?" Professor Flitwick demanded, as he turned his attention from the first years he was addressing.

Emily pointed an accusing finger at Luna. "She's brought dark artifacts into the school, and I think Rachael is dead because of her!"

"Everyone stay put." Flitwick ordered as he cast a silent spell at the stairway to allow him to ascend to the girls dorms.

The entire common room was silent while they waited for the professor to return. Emily glared hatefully at Luna, who merely continued to read, completely unconcerned.

After what seemed like hours, but was closer to a few minutes, Professor Flitwick helped a witch descend the stairs. She was clutching a bloody handkerchief to her forehead, and wincing with each step.

"Miss Patil, If you could, please escort Miss Bellamy to the infirmary." Flitwick requested. "She should be fine, but it would be best to have Madam Pomfrey check her over just to be safe."

"Yes professor." Padma nodded, and took Rachael's arm to help her limp her way to the infirmary.

Flitwick's face grew stony, and he turned to Emily. "Miss Fairchild, would you care to explain what two seventh year witches were doing rummaging around a fifth year's belongings?"

Emilt paled slightly, but she quickly thought up an excuse. "We thought we heard something. We were afraid that someone had accidentally locked their pet in their trunk, so we unlocked it to let the poor thing out."

"Miss Lovegood, do you have a pet?" Flitwick asked, while still staring at Emily.

"I have some mice I suppose, but they're at Harry's house. I don't have any pets here if that's what you mean." She replied serenely as she folded her magazine in on itself and continued to read.

"I didn't think so." Flitwick shook his head. "Miss Fairchild, I found Miss Bellamy on the floor, bleeding from where she had clearly run headfirst into one of the bedposts. Now I checked, and the closest thing to a dark artifact in that room is a sample pack from the Weasley twins' joke shop. Care to tell me what actually happened, or shall I guess?"

"Honest, just like I said, we thought we heard something." Emily said, sticking to her story. "After we opened the trunk, we noticed a wooden box with a weird design. The box opened all by itself, and something came out of it, I don't know what. Rachael just started screaming, so I started screaming. She ran around and must have hit the bedpost. I just thought she collapsed from whatever was in that box."

"That almost matches up with what Miss Bellamy told me." Flitwick said as he folded his arms, and his frown deepened. "Except she said that you opened the box."

"Here's what I think happened. For whatever reason you two decided to search through Miss Lovegood's belongings. You found an expensive looking box, and wanted to see what was inside, again the reason does not matter. What does matter, is the box was clearly at the bottom of the trunk originally, so you had to have been intentionally searching through her personal items. My guess is that Miss Lovegood kept a joke item of some kind within that box. Your jostling it set it off, and the result frightened Miss Bellamy into injuring herself. Messrs Weasley are both talented wizards, and their products are well known for vanishing without a trace if that is the point." He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for Emily to provide an explanation.

"Very well." Flitwick said with an exasperated sigh. "You can inform Miss Bellamy that the two of you will serve detention with me tomorrow night immediately after dinner. We can then discuss your conduct further."

Flitwick then raised his voice to address the entire common room. "If I find out about anyone else invading someone's privacy for any reason, the punishment will be severe. I will not tolerate this sort of behavior in my house."

The professor tried to apologize to Luna for what had happened, but the blonde girl merely smiled at him with unfocused eyes. "It's alright professor. Everything in my trunk is coated with Weasleys' 72 hour itching powder. According to the box there's a delay on it, so the itching should start in the next five minutes or so."

"But, then what do you plan on wearing. Aren't all of your clothes in there?" Flitwick asked in concern.

She tilted her head as her eyes focused on him. "I'll wear my clothes of course, what else would I wear?" She said with the same serene smile she'd had all evening.

-o-o-

Author's note: So, what do you think of the staff changes? For that matter, I can already hear the cries of WTF? from some of you regarding Wednesday's sorting. A couple of you called it, but I'm sure I caught a lot of you off guard. :)

To anonymous reviewers who have expressed their enjoyment: I'm glad you're enjoying my work, and I hope you continue to do so.

To Mizu reviewing chapter 11: Grabnach not only survived, but managed to gain quite a bit of respect from Gomez for nearly disemboweling him.

To justafan reviewing chapter 11: I'm just the author, ultimately my characters decide what they are going to do. Granted I must be somewhat twisted to be able to write about such things, but Voldemort's the real monster here, I'm just the messenger.

Snape can be written in many different ways. He can be the hero JKR tried to make him out to be, he can be the villain that many author's prefer, he can even be a mixture of the two, which is more realistic. Snape's fate in my story is completely irrelevant to what kind of person he actually was. He clearly betrayed Voldemort, and for that he is being punished in a manner the Dark Lord finds appropriate. After Harry showed by example that the cruciatus was not the end all be all of torture, he decided to hand Snape's punishment over to Bella and Asclepius on essentially a whim.

I made references to the Addams family being opportunistic cannibals, but I highly doubt Voldemort, or even Bella an Asclepius, would find eating Snape appealing.

To Guest reviewing chapter 11: Not everyone can have a happy ending, especially not in a story like this one. Snape is just getting one of the more miserable ends. Though things are going pretty good for Harry so far aren't they?

To any Snape fans out there: Remember, Snape is not the actor who played him. If not for the late Alan Rickman's performance, I doubt Snape would be half as popular as he seems to be. Alan Rickman was a fantastic actor, who will be missed terribly. Severus Snape was a fictional man who made a lot of poor choices, who only was missed because canon Harry is an overly forgiving, sentimental pushover.


	13. Defense, broom rides, and potions

Author's note: I had a small bout with writers block that held this chapter back for a bit. Special thanks to SnuggleKitten69 for helping me break through it, and get the chapter finished.

As always thanks for reading, and reviews are always greatly appreciated. I always look forward to reading what you guys think about my story. :)

-o-o-

Chapter 13

Defense, broom rides, and potions.

-o-o-

In the Hufflepuff sixth year girls dorm, Wednesday stared at her school robes that had changed overnight to reflect her new house. Around her, the other girls were getting dressed themselves.

"I have to wear this?" Wednesday asked nobody in particular, with a hint of disgust in her tone. She picked at the offending garment's bright yellow trim. "It's so... vibrant."

"It's either that or go naked." Megan Jones joked as she straightened her own robes.

Upon seeing Wednesday look thoughtful, Hannah walked over to the pale girl. "As much as the boys would appreciate that, our colors aren't that bad. I think black and yellow are a good combination."

Sighing, Wednesday undid her nightgown, letting it fall to the floor. "I usually don't do color, but at least it's only the trim." She capitulated as she reached for her underwear.

Hannah gave a squeak of surprise and averted her eyes, not expecting Wednesday to so casually disrobe down to nothing. Most of the girls would at least change their underwear in private. Not wanting to make a big deal of it, she headed out to go to breakfast, with Megan close behind.

Leanne Triggs gave a snort of amusement and followed after her roommates, shaking her head as she walked. Whether she was amused by Wednesday's casual nudity or Hannah's embarrassment, was unclear.

Alone in the room with Susan, Wednesday decided to address her roommate's family tragedy, while they both finished dressing.

"What do you plan on doing now that you are the last of your family?" Wednesday asked as she pulled on her inner robes.

"W-what do you mean?" Susan asked in return, a frown forming as she was upset by the topic.

"How will you move on from here?" Wednesday elaborated. "Will you rebuild your family, join another, or exact a terrible revenge on those responsible? I suppose you could commit suicide as well, but you don't seem the type."

Susan froze for a second or two as she processed the question. "I-I don't know. I haven't thought about it. I'm still... I mean... I..."

"Mourning the dead is a waste of time, and utterly pointless as well." Wednesday said bluntly. "If I was in your position, I would wage war on those who killed my family. My vengeance would be painful and unyielding. I would not stop until my enemies all lay broken at my feet. What are you going to do though?"

"I can't do that. I can't take revenge on you-know-who. He's the most dangerous dark wizard since Grindelwald, and I'm not even of age yet." Susan managed to say, entranced by the conviction in Wednesday's voice.

"That's no excuse." Wednesday disregarded Susan's argument. "No one is invincible, and age has nothing to do with lethality. Everyone seems so ready to accept that Harry defeated Voldemort when he was only an infant. Why is it so hard to imagine a teenager killing him?"

Susan opened her mouth to object again, but stopped herself. Nervously chewing on a lock of hair, she considered how serious Wednesday sounded.

"Do you know if Harry is going to continue the DA this year?" Susan asked as she thought about the choices Wednesday had pointed out for moving on with her life. "I should get as good at defense as I can no matter what I do."

"DA?" Wednesday raised a brow. "I don't know what that is, but we can ask him down at breakfast."

Susan nodded in agreement, and walked out of the dorm. Despair was no longer radiating from the orphaned girl as she continued to think more on the future than the past.

Wednesday followed soon after, taking a moment to place a few of her things into the pockets of her robes. The corner of her lips turned up slightly. Depression was always lovely to see, but the fire of vengeance was so much more entertaining. All the redhead needed now, was one good push.

-o-o-

The Ravenclaw fifth year girls dorm was quiet. Most of its occupants had already left for breakfast. Only one figure remained, sleeping peacefully with a smile. Luna's classmates had never warmed up to the strange girl, and her new outlook only served to make her more of an outcast. None of the other girls bothered waking her. As far as they were concerned, Luna could fend for herself.

Luna's eyes opened, and her smile widened. "You shouldn't be sneaking into girls bedrooms. It's not proper."

Sitting up, she looked down at her pillow where a severed hand slowly stretched out its fingers. "Does your family know that you're here? For that matter, how did you get into my trunk?"

Somehow Thing managed to look embarrassed... embarrassed, but unrepentant. Luna carefully picked him up, and waved her finger at him with her other hand.

"Now, wait here, and let me get showered and dressed. A girl has to have some privacy." Her smile never faltering, Luna gently kissed his knuckle. "Silly hand, I'll be right back."

-o-o-

The casual nature of breakfast at Hogwarts, with students coming and going, allowed students from different houses to intermingle somewhat. It wasn't uncommon to see a flash of green at the Ravenclaw table, or a couple yellow trimmed robes at the Gryffindor table.

Wednesday and Susan found Harry chatting across the table with Neville, while poking unenthusiastically at his food.

"Doesn't compare to Grandmama's or even Lurch's cooking does it?" Wednesday said as she sat next to Harry. After reaching into her robes, Wednesday set an earthenware bottle in front of him.

Harry's eyes lit up as he recognized the jar. He opened the jar, and sprinkled the contents across his food.

"What's that?" Neville asked in interest. "Some kind of herb?"

"Henbane." Wednesday answered as she added some to her own plate, and put the jar back into her pocket.

Susan, who had sat next to Neville, looked at the couple with concern. "Isn't that poisonous?"

"Flavorful too." Harry smiled, then took a large bite of his now tainted breakfast.

Seeing the shock on Susan's face, Neville set his hand on her arm to draw her attention. "Don't bother. Just, ah, be careful if they offer you something to eat. It doesn't hurt them, but we wouldn't be so lucky."

Susan asked a question to distract herself from thinking about how her classmates apparently considered poison a decent condiment. "Uh Harry, Wednesday said something about how you wanted to honor your godfather by taking his name... I though that he was a criminal who tried to kill you. At least that's what my aunt said."

"Well I suppose technically he was a criminal, but he was framed. Either way he's dead now." Harry grinned, and then explained his name change. "I'm not really honoring who he was either. It's more like I'm following in his footsteps. See, he didn't fit into his own family, so he ran away and became a Potter in all but name and blood. On the other hand, I make a much better Black than a Potter. I have some Black ancestry anyway, so I just took it a step further than Sirius did."

Harry pointed across the way to the Slytherin table. "Draco isn't so happy that I've inherited my godfather's position as head of the family, he was expecting it to go to him. Plus, I've made a few changes already, and soon the Black family will be revitalized. Got rid of that stupid blood prejudice that's been hardwired into the family for too long as well."

"Umm, doesn't that mean that you don't fit in the Black family either? I mean you're changing pretty much the foundation of their beliefs." Susan pointed out.

"You'd think that, but the prejudice thing is actually more modern than anyone realizes. I'm going back to the family's roots." Harry's smile grew wide. "Trust me. I fit in just fine with how the Black family is supposed to be."

"I guess I'll take your word for it." Susan said, not quite convinced.

"Susan was asking earlier if you're doing DA, or something like that this year." Wednesday said to her boyfriend, noting that her fellow Hufflepuff was trying to gauge whether or not Harry was serious, and had likely forgotten her earlier question.

"Hmm, you know, I hadn't even thought about it. I don't see why not, it could be fun. We can make it an official school club this year too." He looked over to the staff table, and stood up. "I'll be right back."

The others watched as Harry started talking with Professor Longbottom and Professor Tofty. While Harry was discussing things with the professors, Cormac McLaggen slid into Harry's spot next to Wednesday.

"Hey there beautiful." Cormac said with what he considered to be a winning smile. "So, what did Potter do to get a pretty girl like you?"

She turned to look at him with complete disinterest. "He survived."

"Sure, they say he survive the killing curse, but nobody else was there." Cormac scoffed. "We don't really know that he's the one who beat you-know-who back then. Doesn't really make sense does it, a baby beating a dark wizard like that?" He pointed out as his hand slowly drifted across the table toward Wednesday's.

"You'd be surprised how easy it is to kill even the most experienced murderer." Wednesday disagreed. "But that isn't what I meant."

In the blink of an eye, Wednesday's dagger appeared between the fingers of Cormac's hand. With a solid thunk heralding its arrival, it was clearly embedded into the table with some force.

"He survived me." Wednesday clarified, her blank expression never changing.

Cormac looked down at his hand. There was only a hair's breadth between the knife and his fingers. "Well, I guess I'll try again later, when you're in a better mood."

As the seventh year left, an awed Susan took a moment to collect herself, then asked about Harry's name. "How come you didn't correct him when he called Harry, Potter?"

"I don't care about what happens to him." Wednesday explained. "You on the other hand are my housemate, and we're supposed to be like a family correct?"

For a moment, Neville was glad that Wednesday hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor. He had been learning how her family treated each other. Then he remembered that Harry was acting much the same way, and didn't feel so lucky anymore.

"You should probably spread the word around Hufflepuff." Neville advised. "Harry really doesn't like being called Potter anymore. It's Harry or Black now. He's started twitching when someone calls him Potter."

-o-o-

The classes a sixth year took depended on their own preferences, and whether or not the scored well enough on their OWLs. This resulted in the classes being small enough that all four houses were together for each subject.

Harry's first class for the year was DADA, he sat next to Neville and Susan at the edge of the small group of Hufflepuffs. Seeing as DADA was one of the courses that required a wand, Wednesday had a free period that she was using to acquaint herself with the castle. Everyone was seated roughly by house, and quietly chatting while Professor Longbottom sat at her desk, working on something.

At the precise moment when the class was to start, Professor Longbottom stood and Addressed the class. "Seeing as Headmaster Tofty has already introduced me, I won't bother introducing myself. If you couldn't have been bothered to take note of who your new professors were, then you will find yourself having difficulty this year."

She strode out from behind her desk to stand before the class. "This is NEWT level, none of your other professors will coddle you, and I most certainly will not. I have high expectations for this class in particular. Your OWL scores in defense, on average, were the highest recorded in over fifty years. It has come to my attention that this is thanks to the efforts of Mister Harry Potter, now Harry Black."

Few of the students were surprised to hear Harry being praised for his efforts, but most weren't aware of his name change. Nearly everyone turned to glance at the young man, who wore a grin that displayed no sense of false modesty at all.

As they had discussed earlier, Harry stood and addressed his classmates briefly. "There is no longer any reason to hold my DA meetings in secret. Not only do we have a competent professor this year, but Professor Longbottom has agreed to sponsor an official defense club this year. We haven't figured out all of the details yet, but by the end of the week, there will be notices in all four common rooms for the club."

After Harry sat back down, Professor Longbottom continued by outlining her syllabus. "You will be learning about a few of the darker creatures such as dementors and inferi, as well as the darker curses such as the unforgivables; however, the bulk of this year will be used to go over the spells you have already learned, and you will be learning to cast them silently."

After a brief lecture of the importance of silent casting, Professor Longbottom had the class pair up and attempt first year jinxes silently. Watching everyone waving their wands at each other with naught but frustration on their faces was rather amusing. Harry felt it made up for the fact that he could not achieve results either.

The end of class finally arrived, and everyone was relieved until Professor Longbottom assigned homework. "I want you all to write an essay detailing the theory behind silent casting and its real world applications."

Immediately Hermione's hand shot up into the air. "How many inches should the essay be?"

Several students groaned, they were hoping they could get away with minimal effort if a length wasn't assigned.

"Your essays should be as long as is necessary to complete the assignment." Professor Longbottom explained, then went on to clarify. "You're all nearing adulthood if you are not already there. I shouldn't have to tell you how long is sufficient. So long as you write enough to complete the assigned essay thoroughly, then that will be long enough. Your grade will let you know if you failed to write enough. On the other end of the spectrum, points will be taken away for overly long essays. Padding your work will not be appreciated, nor will writing about obscure details that could have been left out."

Harry managed to hold in his laughter until he and Neville had left the classroom.

"What's so funny? Did I miss something?" Neville asked, looking around.

Harry shook his head. "No, I just think it's funny that Hermione is probably upset that she'll get a bad grade if she writes as much as she usually does."

-o-o-

Wednesday made her way to the ancient runes classroom with time to spare, thanks to her previous exploration. Not seeing anyone she knew, or any other Hufflepuffs for that matter, she sat alone.

Overall the class was primarily composed of Ravenclaws and Slytherins. She was the lone Hufflepuff, and Hermione was the lone Gryffindor. Wednesday noted the glare that Hermoine sent her way, and smiled in return.

As far as Wednesday was concerned, the class was rather boring. The one thing that kept her amused was that despite Hermione's attempts to pair up with a Ravenclaw, Professor Babbling wound up having the two of them work together.

Hermione tried her best to pretend she wasn't bothered, but Wednesday could tell her presence was upsetting the bushy-haired brunette. Hermione's relief when the class finally ended was almost palpable.

Homework for the class was to start designing a runic array to make a rudimentary flying broom. Wednesday had never considered actually flying on a broomstick before, it seemed so... cliché. She then remembered that Harry had a broomstick with him when they first met. She decided to ask him about it. If nothing else, she could take a look at the runes on a real broom to give her an idea of where to start.

-o-o-

Having missed Luna at breakfast, Harry and Wednesday looked around specifically for their blonde friend during lunch. Instead of at the Ravenclaw table, they found her sitting by herself at the Slytherin table. Curious, the two sat on either side of Luna.

"Okay, not that I mind, but why the Slytherin table?" Harry asked, ignoring the glares he was receiving from several of the nearby students.

"It's like the houses are united this way." Luna answered with a smile. "By the way Wednesday, Thing has been naughty. He snuck into my trunk somehow. Do you think your family is missing him?"

Wednesday paused in the act of filling her plate. "I'm sure he let them know where he was. He's very responsible. Maybe he just wanted to surprise you?"

"Where is he anyway? You two were all but inseparable all summer." Harry asked, noting that the hand wasn't anywhere in sight.

"He's being punished for sneaking into the girls dorm. He knows better than that." Luna replied, then she held up her arm and stared at her sleeve. "Did you know that if you itch all over from head to toe, it starts to feel erotic after the first few hours?"

Harry, not knowing how to respond to that, decided to change the subject. "So, did any of the Slytherins give you trouble for sitting here?"

"Oh no, not at all." Luna shook her head firmly. "There were a few that wanted me to get lost, but I told them I don't know how. I always know where I am. I think they were going to let me know how, but Draco Malfoy came over and whispered to them all. They left without telling me how to get lost, I guess Draco wanted to make sure I figured it out on my own."

Luna smiled brightly. "That was nice of Draco wasn't it? He must have known that I always enjoy discovering new things on my own."

-o-o-

"Okay Draco, seriously... What is wrong with you?" Thomas Selwyn, a seventh year, demanded. "First you go on about we need to start calling Potter, Black. Now you won't even let us clear our own table of unwanted trash like that nut Lovegood. Your father has influence, but that only accounts for so much."

"What influence?" Draco asked bitterly. "He barely has any say over what happens with mother and me anymore, let alone anywhere else."

Draco groaned. "Look Selwyn, you want to try messing with Lovegood go right ahead, but before you do, take a look into her eyes. My aunt is saner than that girl."

"So what, she's crazy. I'm not afraid of crazy." Selwyn countered, his frustration apparent.

Looking up, Draco notice that Harry and Wednesday had joined Luna. "I've warned you. Do what you want, only don't come crying to me later."

Selwyn sneered. "Your pathetic, I don't know how you ever managed to get us to listen to you in the first place."

Muttering under his breath, Selwyn made his way over to where the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw were sitting at HIS table. Thomas was an imposing young man. He weighed in at 210 pounds, and stood an impressive 6 foot, 2 inches. Intending on using his size to intimidate, he clamped a meaty hand onto both Harry and Wednesday's shoulders. From behind Luna, he threatened in a low tone. "In case you didn't realize it, this is the Slytherin table. I'd hate it if something unfortunate happened because you three were sitting at the wrong table."

Because she couldn't see, Luna flopped her head straight back so she could look up at who was speaking. He was standing rather close, so her head collided with him forcefully.

Selwyn's eyes watered, and he half stepped, half fell backward. His strength vanished, and his hands slipped limply off of Harry and Wednesday's shoulders as they moved to belatedly protect his nether region.

Leaning back, and craning her neck further, Luna could finally see the Slytherin seventh year gasping for breath. "I meant to sit at the Slytherin table, so it is the right table. Thank you for worrying about us though. You're very kind." She cheerfully and sincerely thanked him.

-o-o-

After lunch, Luna had arithmancy, but the sixth years as a whole had the block of time set aside as a free period. The intent was to allow them the extra time they'd need for homework and study. Seeing as it was the first day though, many sixth years used the time for less scholastic pursuits.

Walking in the vague direction of Gryffindor tower, Wednesday asked about Harry's Firebolt. "Can I see your broomstick? I'd like to examine it."

Lavender Brown had been on her way to her dorm when she overheard Wednesday, and she couldn't stop herself from snorting in amusement. "A little forward don't you think? But I'm sure any guy would love to show you their 'broomstick.' If you know what I mean."

Wednesday thought for a moment, then turned to face Lavender as she figured out what the other girl meant. "No, I meant his flying broomstick. I already know what his penis looks like."

Not too long ago Harry would have lit up with a deep blush. Having left behind any embarrassment in regards to his relationship with Wednesday, he instead gave a short laugh and smirked at his girlfriend's blunt statement.

Lavender's eyes widened, and her hand shot up to cover her gaping mouth. Noticing that Harry wasn't denying anything, she gasped. "Merlin, you're serious aren't you?" She quickened her pace. "Just wait 'till Parvati hears this!"

"That's convenient." Harry said with mirth. "I can't think of a faster way for the news to spread that we're together."

-o-o-

After Harry retrieved his Firebolt, and Wednesday discovered that the runework was far beyond her ability to decipher, Harry suggested they go down to the quidditch pitch where he could at least show her how a broom was meant to work.

Doing his best to channel Madam Hooch, Harry showed Wednesday the basics of flying. Surprisingly, she was terrible at it. Though, her poor flying skills might have had something to do with the fact that she refused to mount the broom any way other than sidesaddle.

After several minutes of trying to adjust and compensate for how Wednesday sat, they gave up and Harry offered to take her for a ride.

Sitting lady-like behind Harry, Wednesday wrapped her arms around him. "Show me what this thing can do then." she whispered into his ear.

Smirking, Harry kicked off and shot into the sky.

The Firebolt was never intended to hold more than one person, but neither Harry nor Wednesday was very heavy, so it managed without too much trouble. The main issue was it had a tendency to veer right, thanks to how Wednesday sat. After taking an initial lap around the pitch to get used to how it handled, Harry began to show off.

Pushing the broom to its limits, Harry tore across the field as if he were bearing down on a snitch. Approaching the goal posts fast, he smiled and aimed dead center of the middle ring. He threaded the ring with inches to spare, and then dove toward the ground. Leveling out and turning hardly a foot from the grass, he gave a whoop of joy as he spiraled back across the pitch. Another sharp turn pulled them out of their ground-burning corkscrew, and sent them shooting up into the sky. He climbed quickly, dodging now and again to avoid other joyriders taking advantage of the free time. Slowing down, Harry leveled off high above the pitch, where he would often hover during games.

"So, what do you think?" Harry asked as he shifted to look at his girlfriend.

"Do you always fly like that?" She asked while she tried in vain to smooth out her windblown hair. "I think I should have worn my braid for this."

Harry managed to hold back his laughter. Seeing the always composed Wednesday Addams with a completely wild head of hair was hilarious. He half expected that her hair would somehow still be smooth and pristine despite their breakneck broom ride.

Keeping a grip on his mirth, he answered her. "Actually, usually I fly a lot more reckless. I can't really show you without two whole teams in the air, and the bludgers add a level of fun too."

"And the truth about how crazy you are finally comes out." An amused Katie Bell commented as she lazily rose to be even with Harry's Firebolt.

"I thought I'd take advantage of the weather and fly around for a bit. I'm not really surprised to see you up here, but taking your new girlfriend for a ride like that... Are you trying to kill her off or something? 'Cause if you are, I'll gladly take her off your hands instead." Katie winked at Wednesday playfully. "Leanne told me you put on quite the show this morning."

Harry looked between the slightly quizzical expression on Wednesday's face, and the smirk on Katie's. "You're the best chaser Gryffindor has Katie, don't make me kill you."

Katie laughed. "You're no fun Harry. Seriously though, are you dusting off your old 'Dark Lord' persona? Your girlfriend looks like she'd make a great dark lady."

"Dark Lord?" Wednesday asked with a raised brow as she stared at Harry.

"Half the school was terrified that he was going to kill off all of the muggleborn students in his second year." Katie explained "There was a whole big thing with the supposed 'Heir of Slytherin' and 'Slytherin's monster.' A lot of people thought it was Harry. Then there was a rumor that at the end of the year he found the secret lair of the monster and killed it with his bare hands, but I don't know what actually happened."

"Dumbledore killed it with a rooster. A rather anticlimactic end, but apparently that's the easiest way to kill a basilisk." Harry corrected her with a shrug. "If you really want, I'll tell you about it later, but as long as you're here I'd like to ask you something. Would you like to be captain instead of me this year? I know I'm supposed to do it, but I was hoping to duck the responsibility."

"Nice try." Katie said holding up her hands to refuse. "I'm not crazy like Wood and Angelina were. This is my NEWT year. I don't have time for that headache."

"I think I'm going to need all of those free periods on my schedule this year. I've given myself more things to do than I'd intended." Harry lamented. "Quidditch, the defense club, my classes... I'm going to have to sneak out at night just to take care of the other things on my plate."

Katie looked at Wednesday with a teasing smile. "Is she one of those things on your plate?"

"I had better be. It was frustrating sleeping alone last night." Wednesday remarked as she tried again to smooth out her windblown hair.

"Ooh, the rumors are true." Katie whistled at how nonchalant Wednesday was while talking about her sex life. "I like you, let me know if you ever get tired of Harry."

Upon seeing Harry's eyes narrow, Katie threw up her hands defensively. "Kidding, don't worry Harry, I wouldn't steal your girlfriend. Though, if you break up, then all bets are off." She said with a saucy wink, then laughed as she sped away to leave them alone.

Swinging himself around to face Wednesday without having to look over his shoulders, Harry took her into his arms and kissed her roughly. "You're mine, and there will be blood if someone tries to take you from me."

A glimmer shined in Wednesday's eyes, and she smirked visibly. "Does there have to be an attempt to come between us for there to be blood.?"

Harry smiled. "Merlin I love you." he said before crashing his lips into her's again, groaning softy as he felt her sharp teeth slice open his bottom lip.

They floated high above the pitch for a few more minutes. Eventually, they reluctantly ended things before they escalated too far. After all, they did still have one more class for the day. Harry headed back to his room to drop off his Firebolt, while Wednesday swiftly returned to the basement to fix her hair.

-o-o-

Harry and Wednesday were greeted at the door of the potions classroom by Professor Slughorn. The large professor wore a paradoxically insincere yet genuine smile.

"Mister Black, Miss Addams, come in then. Before you get comfortable, I was wondering if the two of you would care to join me for dinner along with some of your fellow students?"

"Sir?" Harry asked, while Wednesday merely stared at Slughorn appraisingly.

"When I used to teach here, I would always gather a little group of students who I felt had it in them to be the best of the best." Slughorn explained eagerly. "I'm starting up my 'Slug Club' again, and would like you both to join me."

Not seeing any particular reason to refuse, they agreed, and then made their way to where several other students were gathered around three full cauldrons.

Once everyone had arrived, Professor Slughorn made his way over to the three cauldrons. "Under normal circumstances, I would have brewed the potions in these cauldrons in preparation for this class months ahead of time. Seeing as I was somewhat of a late addition to the staff this year, I have cheated a little, and these are merely illusions."

Based on appearance alone, Hermione was able to correctly identify all three potions as polyjuice, amortentia, and felix felicis. This earned her several points for Gryffindor, and later on an invitation to the Slug Club.

Slughorn then produced three flasks, two large and one very small. "I have here, samples of all three potions from my personal stores."

Holding onto the tiny flask, he passed around the other two, and told everyone to examine the potions and take note of what they smelled like. "You'll note that polyjuice is a particularly unpleasant smelling potion, and it only gets worse once the final ingredient is added, usually a few hairs from the individual to be impersonated."

Wednesday passed the polyjuice on, noting that she felt it was rather pleasant smelling. Receiving the amortentia next, she inhaled deeply.

"Amortentia on the other hand, has a unique odor for everyone, and it is universally appealing." Slughorn noted, then called on Wednesday to use for an example. "Miss Addams, might I ask what it is you smell?"

Taking another deep breath, Wednesday thought for a moment. "Almonds, Iron, and Harry."

A few of the other students stifled laughs, and Slughorn smiled knowingly. "Amortentia smells like those things we find most pleasant. If you two weren't already dating, then that would have been a clue that Mister Black would find impossible to ignore. Would anyone else like to share what they smell, to demonstrate how it is indeed a unique scent for us all."

After a moment where no one volunteered, Hermione was about to go ahead, when Slughorn spoke up. "No, then I suppose I'll share. I smell pineapple, good mead, and well, I'll just keep the final scent to myself." He added with a chuckle.

Instead of passing around the felix felicis, Slughorn held it high for all to see. "Now we will have a little competition to see where everyone is. The winner will get to keep this phial of liquid luck, so you all have a grand motivation to do your best. Whoever manages to brew the best draught of living death, in the time we have left, will be the winner."

Eager for such a valuable prize, everyone immediately set to work. Of all the students brewing, there were two clear standouts, though for entirely different reasons.

Hermione Granger's potion was progressing steadily through the stages as would be expected from the textbook. Each step done perfectly, producing the correct appearances as she brewed. It was clear that she would not have time to finish, but what she was doing was all but perfect.

The other notable student was Wednesday Addams. Slughorn could only watch in morbid fascination as Wednesday ignored the instructions entirely. Adding ingredients that were not called for, and omitting ones that were, it seemed at first that she was merely playing potioneer.

Hermione noticed the way that Wednesday was haphazardly brewing, and scoffed at how the girl wasn't even trying.

Slughorn made certain to watch Wednesday carefully to ensure that she did nothing that would prove dangerous. With five minutes left to brew, he was rendered speechless as her potion changed from a deep red, to a pale lilac, finally settling in as a perfectly clear potion.

Making his way over to Wednesday's cauldron, Slughorn waved his wand over the potion, then dropped in a leaf that he had treated specially to gauge the quality of these potions. The leaf slowly disintegrated as if being burned to nothing by the potion.

"My dear girl, if you could be so kind as to write down the process you used to brew this. I would very much like to study how you have managed to create a near perfect potion in such little time, and without the standard methods. Where did you learn to brew like this?"

"Professor Frump is my grandmama. She started teaching me how to brew potions like this since I was old enough to crawl into her cauldron." Wednesday explained dispassionately.

-o-o-

"You cheated." Hermione hissed at Wednesday after potions class let out, and she caught up to Wednesday and Harry. "You should have followed the instructions."

Wednesday raised an eyebrow, and studied Hermione for an uncomfortable few moments. Then she pulled the phial of felix felicis out of her robes and casually tossed it to Hermione. "Take it then, I don't particularly care. I don't need that to have a perfect day."

Catching the phial after fumbling around for a bit, Hermione looked at Wednesday incredulously. "That's not the point! You can't just brew however you want, it's too dangerous. You could have blown us all up!"

"I never blow anything up unless I intend to." Wednesday responded as she turned away, leaving Hermione fuming silently.

Hermione stood there tight lipped, glaring daggers at Wednesday's retreating form, trying to figure out what the dark girl was up to. Shifting the phial in her hand, she looked at it, as if for the first time. That bint may have just given her the means of getting Harry back. Smirking, she ran off to find Ron.

-o-o-

The Slug Club dinner was... interesting. The only truly comfortable people in the room were Professor Slughorn, and Cormac McLaggen. The professor was in his element, systematically interrogating each of the students he'd invited in the guise of idle conversation. He'd ply the ones that impressed him with complements and promises of future favors, while making the ones that fell short of his expectations feel out of place and uncomfortable. McLaggen on the other hand was just full of himself enough that the thought of not belonging never occurred to him.

"Wednesday, now that's a unique name." Slughorn pointed out as he stirred a generous dollop of honey into his tea. "However did your parents come up with it."

"It's from an old song, and so is my middle name, Friday." She explained, then recited the lyrics in her usual monotone. "Wednesday's child is full of woe, and Friday's child works hard for a living. My parents wanted to give me a name that would inspire me properly. It could be said that they succeeded."

For the first time that evening, Slughorn faltered. "Ah... yes... I see." Recovering quickly, he followed up with a compliment. "Well, clearly your middle name reflects well upon your placement in Hufflepuff."

Continuing his questioning, Slughorn brought up her wealth. "I understand your family has quite a bit of gold to their name. Your father made a substantial donation to the school. If it wasn't for your test scores and obvious talent, one might make the mistake of thinking he was trying to bribe the school into accepting you." He chuckled at his own little joke.

"He was. Father doesn't often spend money wisely." She pointed out bluntly. "Or rather, he places little value on gold. Instead he focuses on more important things."

Try as he might, Professor Slughorn could not prevent the glimmer in his eyes from shining brightly at that declaration. Any trepidation about the pale girl vanished, as he thought of the benefits he might reap should he gain her favor.

-o-o-

Considering the late hour that the Slug Club let out, Harry and Wednesday decided to turn in for the night.

After a frustratingly passionate kiss, Harry whispered into her ear. "Tomorrow I'll show you one of the school's secrets. We'll have plenty of privacy there as well."

"I'll be sure to wear something appropriate." She whispered back as she dug her nails into his scalp, causing him to groan.

Being in a high traffic hallway, they reluctantly parted ways. Both were looking forward to, and making plans for their rendezvous as they headed toward their respective common rooms.

-o-o-

BONUS SCENE

The Chamber of Secrets

-o-o-

The cave-in separated Harry from Ron and Lockhart. Harry could vaguely hear Ron calling his name to see if he was alright. His vision was a bit hazy, and he could taste blood. Reaching up, he touched his forehead and his hand came back covered in the thick, red liquid.

Staring at the blood on his hand, and feeling where his skin had torn when one of the rocks bounced off of his head, he felt a sense of déjà vu. His vision cleared, and his mind did as well. He hadn't realized it, but he hadn't been thinking clearly until now.

"HARRY! Answer me mate!" Ron's yelling grew frantic.

"I'm fine Ron." Harry said calmly as he poked at his wound, feeling his bare skull. He smiled. "Never better."

"What're we gonna do?" The redhead's voice trembled as he was caught up with worry for not only his sister, but Harry as well.

"Try to shift some of the stone. I'll go see what this heir to Slytherin is like." Harry said as he picked up his wand, and started walking away from the cave in.

"You mean you're going to try and save Ginny by yourself?" Ron asked with equal parts hope and concern.

"Sure, I'll do that too." Harry replied as he walked out of earshot.

-o-o-

Harry stood over the still form of Ginny Weasley, she was so pale that he idly wondered if she was already dead.

"She won't wake you know." A voice interrupted his thoughts.

Turning, Harry saw a boy. No, not just any boy, it was the boy from the diary, Tom Riddle. "Is she dead then?" Harry said, completely unconcerned.

"Not yet, but she soon will be, and there's nothing you can do to save her." Riddle said with conviction.

"Okay." Harry shrugged.

Riddle was about to launch into a tirade, wondering about how this young boy could possibly have defeated his true self, but was taken aback by the child's indifference. "This isn't right, where is the heroic boy-who-lived? Ginny told me all about you Harry Potter, but I wonder if she was seeing you, or who she wanted you to be."

Harry looked around the large chamber, all but ignoring Riddle. "Where is it then, the basilisk? I'll bet it would make a really cool pet. I can talk to snakes you know. I bet I can get it to do whatever I want."

Frustrated that the foolish girl had clearly been making things up about the great Harry Potter, Riddle realized what a fool he was. Of course a child couldn't defeat his true self. He was probably alive and well, biding his time and amassing allies. No matter, he would just kill these children, set loose the basilisk as a distraction, and then find his true self. At least he knew that his study of horcruxes had not been in vain, it clearly worked.

Calling out to the beast, Riddle ordered the basilisk to come out and eat this annoyance before he could somehow interrupt his absorption of Ginny's life. He was in uncharted territory here, and wasn't about to let an unknown variable mess things up.

Harry looked up in interest as the massive stone head of Salazar Slytherin opened its mouth, and the king of serpents slithered out. Keeping its eyes closed to avoid killing its master, the basilisk immediately found the scent of a bleeding human, and reared up to strike at the tiny morsel.

"My name is Harry Potter, would you like to be my pet? I'll make sure I find a way to let you out to eat. I'll bet you're hungry." Harry asked the monstrous snake in parseltongue.

The Basilisk froze. It wasn't sure how to proceed. When it had been a hatchling, its first and true master told it that it should obey the one that spoke parseltongue, for they should be his master's heir. There hadn't been any talk of what to do if there were two who could speak properly.

In the moments of the basilisk's indecision, a crow echoed throughout the chamber. The giant beast shuddered, and slowly fell, stone dead.

Riddle's outraged scream filled the room, and Dumbledore stepped into sight. A rooster held securely in one arm, he held his wand low with the other hand. Without comment, he pointed his wand at the dead creature, and sharply jerked his wand toward the black diary that lay next to Ginny. A fang from the basilisk tore free, and embedded itself into the diary.

Black ooze flowed from the pierced book, and Riddle's screams intensified, this time laced with pain. Harry stared in fascination as Riddle's spectre slowly vanished. As the pained echoes of Riddles lamentation faded away, Harry's smiling face turned toward Dumbledore.

Sighing, Dumbledore stunned Harry, and knelt to check on Ginny. Noting that the girl would recover, he stood back up, and surveyed the scene. "I had such high hopes that you wouldn't backslide again Harry. You did so well throughout the year, even with so many of the students against you." Sighing again, he went to work concocting a scenario for Harry to remember.

Perhaps instilling a sense of heroism akin to those fabricated Harry Potter storybooks would do to steer him on the necessary path. Yes, this could easily be spun to paint Harry as a knight in shining armor, coming to the rescue of the fair damsel in distress. Harry would remember calling Fawkes somehow... perhaps by showing loyalty to himself. Yes, Dumbledore thought, this could definitely work. Harry would remember drawing the sword of Gryffindor from... the sorting hat? Why not, its more believable than the rubbish in those ridiculous books. Then in a climactic clash, Harry would slay the basilisk and receive a mortal wound at the same time, only to be healed by Fawkes. Of course Harry would have to remember deducing that stabbing the diary with a fang from the beast... Perhaps the very one that pierced his own arm... Yes, before being healed by Fawkes, he would grasp the only weapon at hand, and strike the diary, ending Tom's revival.

Feeling rather proud of himself for his impromptu fairytale style rescue, he polished up a few details, and set about altering Harry's mind, yet again.

-o-o-

Author's note: I may add bonus scenes like this one in future chapters. They'd all pretty much be glimpses of what really happened during Harry's adventures. Hopefully you enjoyed reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it.

On a much less pleasant note, thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the bombings in Brussels. The hate that spawns such cowardly acts of terrorism needs to be stopped. Politicians around the world need to stop worrying about offending people, and do whatever is necessary to prevent such tragedy from occurring again.

To Guest reviewing chapter 12: I think most of the casting for the movies gave us better looking versions of the characters. It's the movies, there aren't a whole lot of ugly people acting. Instead of a hideous toad for Umbridge, we get a woman who is only ugly because of the way she dresses and acts. Instead of a socially awkward bushy-haired, nerdy girl for Hermione, we get Emma Watson, who grew up to be a knockout. I could go on, but most of the actors are prettier/more handsome than the characters they portray.

To anon reviewing chapter 12: I'm not sure, but I think I heard that JKR told Alan Rickman what her plans were for Snape. I don't believe he ever revealed what exactly she told him. She may have tweaked Snape's fate just for Alan Rickman. Only she knows for sure.

To Mizu reviewing chapter 12: Thanks for continuing to read and review!

To Guest reviewing chapter 6: While not terrorists, the Order is a vigilante group. No government appreciates vigilantism. Considering they attacked the home of one of the oldest pure-blood families without evidence of transgression, the line between vigilante and terrorist does seem to blur a bit.

To justafan reviewing chapter 12: Well, she's not going to try and do the house elves' job, but it is certainly safe to assume that Ron and Ginny will wind up thoroughly embarrassed by their mother.

Snape tried to do the whole redemption through Voldemort's defeat, but things aren't working out too well for him.

One or two, maybe even a small group of people, surrounded by Addamses for an extended period will become corrupted by their magic. Wednesday all by herself won't be able to affect the Hufflepuffs, at least not like that.

My own view of the state of the Slytherin house tells me that Salazar has been spinning for a while, and probably fast enough to run a generator that could power all of London. As for Helga, who can really say whether or not she'd approve of what Wednesday's influence is going to bring?


	14. What is love?

WARNING: I think these warnings are mostly useful for those of you who look specifically for the scenes of a sexual nature. Don't deny it, I know you're out there. Such a scene can be found just about half-way through this chapter.

Author's note: I've started remodeling what will become my daughter's room, so updates might take longer that usual because I will have less free time on my hands.

I considered this chapter title, and now I have Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan dancing in my head. If this confuses you, then you are either too young, or your taste in television is arguably better than mine was. Coincidentally, as I post this, it is Saturday night.

Thank you all for reading. I can't say it enough, you guys are awesome. As always, I love reading the reviews you leave for me, and as things are now, I have pages of notes that are filled with ideas spawned from reviews and private messages. I don't think this story would be half as good as it is without the inspiration from the feedback I've been receiving, so keep letting me know what you guys think. :)

-o-o-

Chapter 14

What is love?

-o-o-

"Wow, big plans for a hot date later on?" Susan commented, noting that Wednesday had put on rather daring underwear, and was pulling a corset out of her trunk. "Kind of risqué for breakfast don't you think?"

"Something like that." Wednesday agreed as she pulled on the too small corset, and began tightening and knotting the leather laces. The other girls cringed at how tight Wednesday was drawing the corset. "And I like how it feels."

Leanne whistled at the overall effect. "Got anything else in store for the poor boy? If Harry sees you dressed like that, he's going to be putty in your hands. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd let you put a collar on him." She joked as she finished getting dressed.

Susan and Hannah looked scandalized while Megan laughed. All of the girls were taken aback by what Wednesday pulled out of her trunk in response. A thick iron collar, that wouldn't be out of place in a dungeon, dangled from an equally thick chain.

"I wasn't really planning on it for today, but I did come prepared." Wednesday dropped the heavy collar on her bed, and reached back into her trunk

"Merlin Wednesday, what are you planning on doing?" Susan asked, looking slightly disturbed. "Between the rumors flying around, and you dressed like, well... that... I figured you were going to shag him, not chain him up and... what would you even do with that?"

"Okay, now I'm really curious." Leanne said as she walked over to peer into Wednesday's trunk. "What else do you have in there?"

"I don't even want to know." A blushing Hannah said as she threw up her hands. Making her way to the door, she called out, "I'm heading to breakfast, I'll pretend I don't even know this much... Just whatever you do, be careful, and don't get caught."

Wednesday looked at the curious faces of her roommates and shrugged. "I don't really have anything special, just whips, chains, nothing unusual."

A set of manacles and leg irons joined the collar on the bed, along with a coil of rough hemp rope, followed by a trio of different leather whips. Upon seeing the growing collection of 'toys' Susan and Megan followed Hannah's example, and rapidly escaped to breakfast, deciding that they really didn't want to know either.

Leanne looked fascinated, if not slightly confused. "I've heard of this sort of thing, but I didn't really think people actually did it. You really, um, tie him up and whip him? And he lets you? … Why?"

"It hasn't happened yet, and I wouldn't say he 'lets' me do anything. Playing is fun." Wednesday smiled widely with a wicked look in her eyes. "Regardless of which end of the knife you're on. It's exciting."

Leanne took a moment to process what she was learning about Wednesday. The image of Harry tied up, completely nude and helpless, came to her mind unbidden, and she blushed furiously. "I'm not sure about the other stuff, but I think I can see using ropes and..." She grew warm as she imagined herself tied up, and at the mercy of a man like Harry.

"I really need a boyfriend." Leanne whispered to herself as her imagination continued to run wild. Her eyes glazed over as she stared at nothing, lost in her own thoughts.

After pushing everything back into her trunk, Wednesday finished adjusting her robes. "If you want, you can borrow whatever you'd like."

Wednesday's comment brought Leanne back to reality, and she jumped slightly. "What? Oh... um... maybe?" She walked along side Wednesday as they both made their way toward the Great Hall. Mentally, she started running through the list of boys she knew were available, wondering if any of them would feel adventurous.

These girls were interesting. Wednesday thought as she walked. Apparently most witches were easier for her to get along with than most non-magical girls. She idly wondered if this was anything like having sisters. Pugsley was okay for a brother she grudgingly admitted to herself, but she still wished that he had been a girl instead.

-o-o-

"Bloody hell 'Mione." Ron groused "Couldn't you let me finish eating at least?"

Rolling her eyes, Hermione pulled Ron away from the Great Hall, seeking some modicum of privacy. "If I let you finish, we'd be in there until the house elves took away the last of breakfast. Now come on, I have a full course load, so we need to take advantage of every second we have to plan."

"I'm not that bad, 'sides I'm a growin' boy." Ron said, defending his appetite. "What do we need to plan for anyway?"

Looking around to ensure that they were alone, Hermione pulled Ron into an empty classroom. Closing the door behind them, she turned to Ron with an excited grin on her face. "We are going to get Harry back."

"The whole Order tried to do that, and fat lot of good that did. What makes you think we'll be able to do anything?" Ron asked, thinking maybe Hermione had finally cracked. It was too many books, and too much studying. He knew he should have been more insistent on her loosening up a bit.

Hermione pulled a phial filled with a golden potion from her robes. "The Order didn't have this, felix felicis. This is liquid luck Ron. As long as we come up with a perfect plan, this potion will make it so we can't fail."

Looking skeptical, Ron leaned against a desk and sighed. "Alright then. What did you have in mind?"

"We already know that Harry is highly resistant to mental control, which means that they must be subduing his willpower somehow." Hermione explained her theory, confident that it was the only explanation. "Basically, we need to get Harry alone, and get him to drink a couple potions that will clear his mind, and bolster his willpower. Once the potions take effect, he should be able to throw off whatever is controlling him with ease. The liquid luck will make sure we can get him alone and drinking the potions. If I ration it properly, I think I can make him take some as well, to give him that extra edge to free himself."

"Did you stay up all night thinking this up?" Ron asked, half joking. Then he shook his head. "There's way too much that could go wrong, I don't think that little luck potion is going to cut it."

Hermione frowned. "That's why I said we need the perfect plan. My idea is just a starting point. I can brew the potions we need no problem, especially since Professor Slughorn is much more... reasonable that Professor Snape."

She poked him in the chest with her forefinger. "You're taking less classes than I am, and I know you aren't as stupid as you pretend to be, but you are lazy. I really need you to focus, and help me refine my plan. We can do this. I know we can, and you know that if it was one of us, Harry would do anything to save us."

"Yeah, he would." Ron agreed. "Hey, I bet Harry's map would be a huge help."

"Brilliant Ron." Hermione said while rolling her eyes again. "But I doubt he'll just let you have it, and it might be too dangerous to try and search through his things."

"He doesn't have the map, I do." Ron said with a grin. "When Dumbledore figured Harry wasn't going to be able to go back to the muggles in time to keep those wards from falling, he brought what Harry left behind to the Burrow. I snagged the map, figuring it was the only important thing he had. Couldn't find his cloak or his Firebolt."

Ron's grin faded. "I was fooling around with it, and had it on me when the Burrow was attacked. Lucky huh?" Ron didn't sound as if he felt lucky.

Hermione gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "How is your father?"

"Still hasn't woken up." Ron shut his eyes tightly. When he opened them there was a fire she'd never seen there before. "Don't worry 'Mione, we'll make this work. We'll get Harry back. Then, when the three of us are back together, there's nothing we can't do."

-o-o-

Herbology came and went without incident. Harry and Wednesday left the greenhouse as the only two students that the venomous tentacula never tried to attack, which frustrated those who'd been bitten to no end. It seemed that the plants somehow knew that it was in their best interest to leave those two alone. As with every other subject, homework was assigned despite it being the first day. A several foot essay detailing the care and feeding of the tentacula, as well as its uses, both as a potion ingredient and as a living plant.

At this point, most sixth years started to truly understand that their so called free periods were going to have to be used to finish the amount of homework they'd be given over the year. Add in the studying they'd have to do in preparation for various tests, and there really didn't seem to be much free time left.

It was for this reason, that Harry and Wednesday agreed to wait until after lunch to go off in search of privacy. Since neither one was taking history, they would use the free time to work on their already hefty homework load. They weren't the only ones to decide that, and spent the time before lunch in the library among other studious sixth and seventh years.

-o-o-

Considering their completely different schedules and houses, meals were when Harry, Wednesday, and Luna could all spend time together. By lunchtime, they'd already settled into a routine of sort, where Luna would choose a random table to sit at, and the other two would join her. Breakfast had been at the Gryffindor table, but now they sat with the Hufflepuffs.

"I suppose you're right, but how would they know?" Luna asked out of nowhere.

Hannah looked around for someone who might be talking to the younger blonde, but failed to see anyone. "Um Luna, who are you talking to?"

Luna held up a hand, silently asking Hannah to wait a moment. She tilted her head as if listening intently, and then laughed musically. Focusing on Hannah, she said, "I'm talking to Thing of course. He's very funny, and surprisingly insightful at times."

"Luna, do you have thing hiding in your robes?" Harry asked, mainly because he couldn't see the hand in question.

"Don't be silly Harry." Luna answered with her ever present smile. "Thing isn't being punished anymore."

Luna leaned forward, and shifted her hair to the side, revealing Thing sitting on the collar of her robes. No longer hidden by hair, Thing leaned back onto his wrist, and waved at Hannah.

Hannah stared at thing for a moment before responding. "Thats... creepy, but kind of neat too. Can I see it?"

Thing tapped out a message on Luna's neck before leaping down to the table in front of her.

"Of course you can. I said you weren't being punished anymore." Luna said as she sat back up, and ran her finger gently across Thing's thumb.

The nearby Hufflepuffs all stared in apprehensive wonder as Thing scrabbled across the table to stand in front of Hannah.

Justin Finch-Fletchley leaned across the table to poke Thing with his wand. "I still can't get over how cool magic is sometimes."

Thing shamelessly basked in the attention he was getting, especially when several of the girls deemed him cute and adorable.

Luna's smile faded, and a small frown appeared in its place.

Many of the students made comments on where they could find a cute or cool pet like this, and the girls all took turns holding Thing, who seemed to love the attention.

Harry looked between Thing, and the increasingly upset looking Luna. He started to say something, then decided to watch instead.

"He's not..." Wednesday started to say, but Harry stopped her by placing his hand over her mouth.

"No, I want to see if anyone figures it out on their own." Harry said as he watched the scene unfold.

"You know you don't have anything to worry about right Luna?" Harry finally said upon seeing how upset the girl was becoming, and that apparently he and Wednesday were the only ones to notice her growing ire.

Ignoring Harry, Luna stood up and marched over to where Thing was being petted by a fourth year girl. Luna grabbed Thing out of the girl's hands, and without saying a word, stomped away in the direction of Ravenclaw Tower.

"Thing should have known better than that." Wednesday commented as she watched the upset Ravenclaw leave the Great Hall. "Though, I didn't realize Luna was the jealous type."

"What was that all about?" Hannah asked, concerned that Luna's strange outburst was somehow her fault. "Why would she be jealous that we like her pet?"

-o-o-

"Hi Harry." A voice called out in what was supposed to be a seductive tone. "You haven't visited me in a while..."

Looking up, Harry and Wednesday saw the ghostly form of Moaning Myrtle laying down on the ceiling and fluttering her eyelashes at him. Wednesday watched in interest as the dead girl floated down to hover in front of them.

"You must be Myrtle." Wednesday said as she studied the ghost before her. "Harry told me all about you. What is being dead like?"

Harry stood back and watched in amusement as Myrtle enjoyed telling Wednesday how dreadfully horrible her afterlife has been. Considering Myrtle was practically the guardian of the Chamber of Secrets, he felt it important to stay on her good side. Wednesday's genuine interest in talking to the ghost who seemed to wallow in misery, would go a long way in keeping her as an ally. It would be inconvenient if their use of the chamber was made public knowledge.

During a lull in their conversation, Harry joined in. "I plan on using the chamber quite a bit this year. As a friend, could you keep that a secret?"

"Will you keep me company this year? I didn't see you at all last year..." Myrtle pouted with an over the top expression.

"I was a bit preoccupied last year, but this year I can make sure to stop and chat every time I go down into the chamber." Harry explained.

"Okay Harry." Myrtle agreed happily, then frowned. "I don't know why you'd want to go down there. It must be awful."

"That depends on your point of view I suppose." Harry said before hissing at one of the sinks. "Personally, I think it's rather nice."

The sink sank into the floor, and a very wide, round passageway opened up. Leaning into the hole that sloped downward into darkness, Harry searched for a second before finding an etching of a snake in one of the stones that lined the wall of the passage. A few more words of parseltongue, and a secondary passageway opened up just inside the first. This one was man sized, and had steps instead of a steep slope.

Myrtle shivered in remembrance of the huge, yellow eyes that had stared at her from that opening. With a wail she flew up into the air, and crashed down into one of the toilets, causing water to splash out into the room.

"I guess she has some bad memories." Harry said with a grin as he held out his hand toward Wednesday. "The basilisk that killed her came up out of this hole over fifty years ago. Want to see it?"

-o-o-

Wednesday frowned as she looked over the skeletal remains of the once fearsome beast. "I was expecting a rotting corpse. How is it already just a skeleton? I would have thought that a creature saturated with magic would take years to decay. There isn't even a puddle of decomposed flesh."

Harry sighed. "Yeah, Dumbledore had me open up the chamber so that wizards could get down here to harvest the body. I wager he made a tidy profit, then again, for all I know he had the galleons put into my account. Doesn't really matter anyway."

Wednesday approached the hulking skeleton, unaware that Harry was smirking as she drew closer. Harry licked his lips in anticipation as she stepped over one of the many stagnant puddles around the beast.

The oblong puddle glowed, and from either end a barbed wire shot out, wrapping around each of Wednesday's ankles. The sharp barbs bit in, drawing blood and securely gripping her. A moment later, the wires each pulled her back into the shallow puddle toward their origin. The end result was Wednesday being forced to stand with her legs just wider than the width of her shoulders.

Taking advantage of catching her off guard, Harry made liberal use of the summoning charm, and almost literally tore her robes off of her. "I came down here yesterday when you were in ancient runes. Explored for a bit, and laid a few traps for you. You aren't turning this one around on me, this time you're mine."

Her first reaction was to try and pull her legs free. Failing to budge her feet, she reached down to pull at the wire itself with her hands. All she succeeded in doing, was staining the puddle red with her blood, and providing him a provocative view of her backside.

"If you think this will make it easy for you, you're sorely mistaken." She commented as she turned to look back at him, almost daring him to approach.

Wednesday had meant it when she said she'd dress for the occasion. Her smooth pale legs were covered by black fishnet stockings that went up to mid-thigh. A matching garter belt held the fishnets in place, and framed her delicate lace knickers. The corset she'd worn before bound her chest tightly, displaying her firm breasts prominently.

"I found this spell in the restricted section last night." Harry said casually as he walked around her. His eyes took in every inch of her, clearly appreciative of her lingerie. "It was designed by a minor dark lady back in the late 1800's to mimic barbed wire which some muggle had recently invented. She was a muggleborn who enjoyed torturing pure-bloods with muggle artifacts. Simple to cast, but unfortunately even simpler to dispel. Of course, you'd need a wand for that." Harry chuckled softly.

She watched him circle her, wondering what he had in store for her. Her own plans were spoiled neatly, but she wasn't afraid to improvise. All he needed to do was make one mistake. Seeing a jet of light streak toward her, Wednesday twisted to the side to avoid it, only to move right into the path of his follow up spell.

Harry smirked as Wednesday's arms moved against her will to wrap behind her back. Her forearms were bound tightly together with his magic, and she was rendered all but completely helpless.

He made his way around to stand behind her and ran his hand up her sides, stopping at her upper arms, where he gripped her tightly and leaned forward. "I told you. This time, you're mine." he whispered into her ear and proceeded to kiss his way down the side of her neck, and across her bare shoulder.

Moaning her appreciation, Wednesday noted that this was one game where losing and winning were almost indistinguishable. She felt the pressure on her chest relent, and her corset fell to the ground. Then her moans intensified as his kisses became bites, and he roughly grasped her breasts, pulling her tighter to him.

"Now, bend over." He ordered, but she hesitated, resisting on principle. The choice was taken from her as he forced her forward. Her knees hit the hard stone floor first, and the momentum carried her further. Not having her hands free to catch herself, she turned her head to the side and landed roughly with her shoulders to the ground and her backside high in the air.

With no leverage, she was completely at his mercy. Wednesday felt that same exciting fear that gripped her that first night when he took her virginity. He could do absolutely anything to her, and she would not be able to stop him. At that thought, her mind drew a blank as to what he could possibly do that she would want to stop.

Her mind was brought back to the moment when she felt cold steel slide between her panties and her flesh. Moments later her panties fell away exposing her arousal to the cold air. She cried out in pleasure as he once again proved he knew that his mouth was meant for more than kissing.

Reduced to a quivering puddle, Wednesday hardly registered that his fingers replaced his mouth. She did however, gasp in surprise when she felt his fingers wander, exploring new ground. Once again she was introduced to a new sensation, pain slowly blossoming as he explored her body further.

Her hair being pulled tight brought a sharp pain that was soon drowned out as he entered her in a brand new way. She cried out in pleasure as the pain he introduced her to grew in intensity. His other hand held tightly to her still trapped arms, and he forcibly brought her to her second climax.

Between the tightness and her screams of pleasure, Harry felt his own release approaching fast. Gripping her hips with both hands, he quickened his pace, bringing himself to climax even as Wednesday's continued to grip her.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Harry fumbled for his wand. Two simple counter-spells released Wednesday, and she allowed herself to fall to the side, rolling over until she lay on her back on the cold stones. The two of them remained silent as they calmed down and began to breathe normally.

-o-o-

"What happened between you and Ron anyway?" Dean asked, taking advantage of the aforementioned redheaded prefect being on patrol.

Harry set down the transfiguration book he'd been reading, and looked up to see both Dean and Seamus looking at him with interest. "I suppose you could say he doesn't approve of my girlfriend and the supposed influence she has on me."

Dean shook his head. "He and Hermione keep calling her evil. Sounds to me like they're just jealous. Even with that goth thing she's got going on, she's a fine looking witch. I can't say I'd blame you if you changed up a few things just for her."

"I'll say." Seamus agreed with a lecherous grin. "She a little weird, all soft spoken and serious all the time, but I'll bet anything she's a demon in bed."

"You're not far from the truth." Harry agreed, then looked thoughtful. "Though, I think a bed was involved only a few times."

Neville, who at this point wasn't surprised by that particular revelation, pointedly ignored the conversation and buried his face in an obscure herbology book he'd bought when he got his new wand.

Dean and Seamus on the other hand, showed renewed interest.

Dean had been trying to hook up with Ginny, but his attempts weren't going as well as he thought they would. Despite being his best friend, he wasn't about to believe any advice Seamus gave; it really wasn't worth asking Neville, since the boy was so shy most of the time; and he certainly wasn't going to ask Ron how to date his sister, that would just be stupid. Perhaps Harry could give him a few pointers if he was that successful with his own relationship.

As for Seamus, he talked a big game, but most everyone knew that it was just that, talk. He was hoping to pick up something from Harry, and maybe be able to add some true stories to all of his made up ones.

"So, how did you get her interested in you?" Dean asked, hoping for something he could use.

Harry thought for a moment. "You'd have to ask her, but I know it was my skill with a knife that impressed her enough to start dating me."

Neville had been taking a sip of water as he overheard that, and nearly choked as he thought of several possibilities of what Harry might have meant by that.

"I should show how good I am at something then, if I want to catch a witches eye?" Dean asked, assuming a benign reason for Harry's talent with a knife.

"Maybe, I think that depends on the witch." Harry said with a shrug. "The best advice I ever got was this: Make her feel desired, and never hesitate to show how you feel."

"That actually sounds like good advice." Seamus noted. "Who told you that?"

"Her father." Harry said with a grin that widened as he noticed the other boys each realize in turn what that implied.

"You asked Mr. Addams advice on dating his daughter?" Neville asked, no longer able to pretend he was reading. "And he gave it to you?"

"No, of course not." Harry denied immediately. "I think Wednesday asked him to give me that advice after we were dating. I was a bit shy about our sex life, and he helped me lose that shyness."

"Did he know... You know, I don't really want to know." Neville said as he took his book and water, and headed down to the common room to read.

Dean and Seamus just looked at each other as if to confirm that they both heard the same thing. Clearly advice from Harry wasn't going to be useful for mere mortals like them.

-o-o-

Wednesday sat on the edge of her bed in her usual opaque nightgown, brushing her hair as she tried to decide the best way to sneak out later on. Harry had asked her to meet him by the whomping willow after dark, and she was curious what he had in mind.

Susan and Hannah stood near Hannah's bed, whispering furiously.

"I'm sure it's nothing Susan. She doesn't seem upset at all." Hannah argued quietly.

"Auntie used to bring me to work on occasion when she couldn't find a sitter." Susan whispered forcefully. "I remember seeing witches come in with bruises like that. They all acted just fine, and would say they were fine, but Auntie would tell me that they were far from fine. When I got older she explained exactly what was wrong with those witches. I'm telling you, you need to do something."

"What am I supposed to do?" Hannah asked, keeping her voice low. "Just ask her if Harry's been... doing that to her?"

"I don't know. You're the prefect, figure it out." Susan hissed. "If you don't do anything, then I'm going straight to the headmaster. I'll get the DMLE involved if I have to."

Neither girl noticed that Wednesday had stopped brushing her hair, and was standing behind them. "Why would you need to go to the authorities?" She asked, not wanting to bother with any law enforcement.

Both girls jumped, and Hannah glanced down at Wednesday's bare arms which had some rather distinct bruises. "Well..." She hesitated.

Susan glared at Hannah, then turned to Wednesday. "Does Harry... Is he too rough... What I mean is, does he beat you, or do anything you don't want him to?"

Wednesday raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Too rough? I don't understand. And of course he beats me on occasion. I wouldn't be in love with a man who couldn't get the upper hand at least once and a while."

Taking in the two girls' gobsmacked appearance, she looked even more confused. "Did your mothers not tell you what sex was supposed to be like?"

Hannah looked worried, and sent an apologizing glance toward Susan. "Wednesday, sex is supposed to be loving, and you should always feel safe. If Harry is hurting you, then you need to get out of the relationship before he goes too far."

Wednesday tilted her head and studied Hannah and Susan's worried features. "You're serious aren't you?" Unable to stop herself, her hand shot up to cover her mouth as she began giggling.

Biting her lip hard to stop herself from laughing outright, Wednesday shook her head. Regaining control, save for a minor smirk that would not be denied, she explained what sex was really supposed to be. "Sex is about feeling good, and doing whatever you want to make it feel good. I like it when Harry is rough, I like the mix of pain and pleasure, and I love it when he makes me feel helpless. I'm sure if you asked him, he'd feel the same way when I get the upper hand, and do all those things to him."

The confused, skeptical looks on the two girls faces prompted her to lead them to Hannah's bed, where she sat them down. Remembering when her mother gave her the full sex talk when she was eleven, Wednesday gently repeated what she had been told as she channeled her mother's caring personality.

-o-o-

Wearing the shadows as comfortably as she wore her nightgown, Wednesday silently moved through the halls of Hogwarts. Slipping out into the night, she made her way across the grounds to the school's whomping willow tree without being detected. There she found Harry already waiting for her, lounging casually at the base of the tree, just out of reach of the agitated branches that were trying in vain to crush him.

Seeing Wednesday step out of the shadows, Harry chuckled at the sight of her walking barefoot across the grass in her nightgown. He probably should have mentioned what he had planned, but he wasn't going to complain about how she was dressed. It really wouldn't matter anyway. He absently prodded a knot on the tree's trunk near the ground, and disappeared into the hollow that had been behind him.

The angry writhing of the willow's branches stopped, and the tree relaxed as if put to sleep. Wednesday took note of the knot Harry had pressed before vanishing into the dark passage beneath the tree. She caught up to Harry fairly quickly, and they walked together through the underground secret passageway.

"Where does this lead?" Wednesday asked once she realized that Harry wasn't going to offer any information without prompt.

"To Hogsmead, specifically the shrieking shack. It's rumored to be haunted by incredibly violent ghosts." Harry shook his head at the interested look on his girlfriend's face. "Sorry, the rumors aren't true. They started because of all of the weird noises Remus used to make when he was trapped in the shack during full moons. It's a wonder nobody realized that the sounds only occurred on the full moon, and put together that a werewolf must be the cause."

"Then why are we going there now?" She asked, curious about what Harry wasn't telling her.

Harry grinned evilly. "To pick up something that we couldn't exactly carry with us on the Hogwarts Express."

Finally the shack was in sight, and they could hear two voices chatting casually from within.

Wednesday pushed forward, and opened the door into the rundown building. "Uncle Fester? Aunt Dementia? What are you doing here?"

Fester turned to grin at his niece. "You two left an unfinished project, so we brought him to you."

Off to the side there were two crates. Fester banged on the smaller one, and a tearful whimper could be heard from inside.

Wednesday's eyes widened in understanding, as Harry moved to the larger crate and began hissing to the contents. He started to work on prying the side off, but Fester pushed him off to one side and tore the crate open with ease.

Snakes poured out of the now open crate, and swarmed around the smaller one. Muffled crying could be heard from inside the surrounded box. A lone snake broke from the crowd, and slithered up Harry's leg.

Dementia handed Wednesday two large duffel bags that squirmed and shook. "Those are the ones we could catch, Pubert had a lot of fun running around collecting them."

Dementia laid a hand on Harry's shoulder as he finished talking with the snake now coiled around his wrist. "Gomez wanted to be sure that I let you know how much he likes those cigars you had delivered from Knockturn Alley. Morticia says that he hasn't coughed up blood this much in years."

"I was hoping they would work out. The shopkeeper wasn't sure what was in them, only that it was some kind of deadly poison." Harry smiled, glad that his thank you gift was appreciated.

Harry looked at Fester, then the unopened crate. "If you wouldn't mind Uncle Fester?"

"Happy to." Fester replied as he smashed his fist through the top of the wooden crate, eliciting a hoarse scream from within.

Fester lifted Pettigrew out through the shattered remains of the lid, and held him out in front of Harry.

"Peter." Harry gave the traitorous Marauder a wide toothy grin. "You're going to transform into a rat now, and I'm going to carry you to your new home. If you try to escape, our next session is going to be much, much worse for you."

Quivering with fear, Pettigrew shrank into his animagus form, and fell into Harry's waiting hands.

Harry and Wednesday hugged Fester and Dementia goodbye, and thanked them wholeheartedly for going out of their way to help. Then they returned to the tunnel, heading back toward Hogwarts. Wednesday led, carrying the writhing bags of snake food, and Harry followed with Pettigrew held tightly in one hand. The snakes followed along, careful not to get underfoot.

-o-o-

Author's note: Two chapters in a row that take place over the course of a single day. Don't worry, I'm not going to go through the entire school year a day at a time, it's just that there's just a lot going on right now. The pace should pick up soon.

A mistake that I made with Snape's torture was brought to my attention. I've edited chapter 9 so that I no longer have Asclepius cutting off three of Snape's hands by the end of chapter 11. Whoopsy.

To Gravin X reviewing chapter 13: Hermione and Ron are working on their plan, next chapter you'll get to see what happens when they go through with it.

At first I intended to have the fight with the Basilisk reflect Harry's true nature somehow, but I realized that he probably wouldn't have killed the thing at all. After thinking on it for a minute, I realized that the whole Chamber of Secrets end game was really clichéd, so why not have it intentionally so? I had fun making canon seem like something Dumbledore made up on the spot. I'm glad you enjoyed it too.

To Guest reviewing chapter 12: I never considered any other house for Wednesday, I'm glad most everybody agrees with my placement. :)

To Dontblink reviewing chapter 13: According to canon, a dark wizard cannot cast a patronus. I think this is because it is a purely light spell. I say bollocks to that. The imperius is an unforgivable, a supposedly purely dark spell, and Harry had no trouble using it on the goblin teller multiple times. Not to mention Snape can cast a patronus. I don't care if he was firmly against Voldemort, there is no way he wasn't a dark wizard. In my story anyone can cast a patronus, assuming of course that they can master the spell.

I haven't decided what Harry's new patronus will be, but I can guarantee that it won't be a stag.

To psycho bunny reviewing chapter 13: Thank you. I hope you liked this chapter as well.


	15. The Addams influence

Author's note: This chapter got away from me a bit. It was getting to be twice the length I normally shoot for, so I cut it down into two different chapters. The next one shouldn't take too long to finish up and post, so hopefully you'll get another update soon.

As always, feedback is awesome. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to leave a review. Without you guys, well I'd still be writing this story, but I don't think I'd be enjoying it half as much. :)

Let me know what you think. Good, bad, ugly, I welcome feedback of any kind.

-o-o-

Chapter 15

The Addams influence.

-o-o-

Wednesday was the first day in quite some time that Harry and Wednesday spent the majority of their time apart. Since they didn't share any classes that day anyway, Harry decided he would spend his free time working on ironing out the details of the new Defense Club. He reluctantly also used the time to figure out his new duties as captain of Gryffindor's quidditch team.

The Defense Club would be fun, and he already had plenty of ideas, it was just the logistics he needed to work on and discuss with Professor Longbottom. Being quidditch captain on the other hand, was something he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about. He loved playing the game, that much was true, but it was the flying itself that really interested him. Since he was the seeker, he had never paid too much attention to how everyone else played. He would concentrate on the snitch, and treated the other players mainly like living bludgers that weren't actively trying to hit him.

Wanting to take advantage of the only other real veteran on the team, Harry decided he would eat breakfast with Katie and pick her brain. She may not want the captaincy, but she was going to help him do the work anyway.

"I probably won't see you until lunch" Harry said after kissing Wednesday a little too deeply to be publicly appropriate. He stood to head over to the Gryffindor table. "If for some reason I don't see you, say hi to Grandmama for me when you go to Divination."

Wednesday nodded, and remained with Luna at the Slytherin table. Much like the last time they'd sat there, they were given a wide berth; however, once Harry left, a fair skinned blonde girl sat down across from the two friends.

"Now then, Malfoy has been babbling on about the three of you, but I've never considered him a reliable source of information." The Slytherin girl said as she laced her fingers and rested her chin on them, staring at Wednesday in a calculating fashion. "Supposedly something big happened this summer. You're the new variable, so I assume you're at least partially responsible for whatever it was."

"And I suppose you want me to undo whatever I've supposedly done?" Wednesday said with a raised brow.

"I can't say I particularly care." The girl said, sitting upright and waving negligently. "Malfoy seems to have been knocked down a few pegs as a result though, so I guess you could say I approve of the new state of things. As for the changes with Potter, he seems to be much less annoying as Black. Why, if all Gryffindors acted like he does now, the rivalry between our houses would probably fade away."

"Daphne wants to thank you, but she's not very good at it." Luna said casually, smiling as she stared off into the distance with unfocused eyes. "Draco's no longer trying to get into her robes, so she wants to show her appreciation."

Narrowing her eyes, Daphne looked at the other blonde. "You do know that one of the main reasons people say you're looney is because you blurt out rubbish like that. Learn some decorum."

"Don't be silly. I'm Luna, not Looney." Her smile did not falter as she faced Daphne, and seemed to look straight through the older girl.

"I imagine Draco doesn't bother you anymore, because he doesn't want to marry you. As I understand it, he's been told that he needs to get more serious about finding a wife so that he can help repopulate the Black family." Wednesday explained.

"I think I should be insulted, but honestly I'm rather happy he doesn't view me as marriage material." Daphne said after thinking about it for a moment. "Is he afraid he'll be forced to marry the first witch he tricks into a broom closet?"

"No, he just doesn't know what to do anymore. His whole world has been turned upside down, and now he's completely lost." Luna said in a clear voice as her eyes came into focus.

-o-o-

Taking the time to explore the castle further, Wednesday wandered through the lowest levels near where she assumed the Slytherin dorms were hidden. Turning a corner, she saw three first year Hufflepuffs, two boys and a girl, huddled together while two third or fourth year Slytherins, a boy and a girl, bullied them.

"Little firsties shouldn't be wandering so far from where you belong, you could get hurt." The older boy taunted between casting stinging hexes.

The older girl crossed her arms with a sneer. "I'll bet at least one of them is a mud-blood. I can smell the stench of muggle on them."

"That's urine." Wednesday said flatly as she stepped up behind the two bullies. "A common odor when you deal with the frightened. Magic or lack thereof has nothing to do with it."

Startled, both Slytherins turned quickly, bringing their wands up by reflex.

With one swift motion, Wednesday closed a hand around each of their wrists, and spun them around to face the younger children as she bent their arms behind their backs. Their wands were rendered useless as they were now pinned between their shoulder blades.

"This isn't acceptable." Wednesday said calmly, holding the Slytherins still with an iron grip.

"Bitch, the dungeons belong to us." The girl spat. "You stupid 'Puffs don't belong here."

"I wasn't talking to you." Wednesday replied, completely ignoring the Slytherins. "Why are the three of you just standing there like victims?"

The younger Hufflepuffs all looked at Wednesday with a host of emotions, but confusion was most apparent.

"If you act like a victim, you will be a victim." Wednesday explained patiently. "Don't just huddle together cowering. Defend yourselves."

"W-we don't know any magic yet." One of the boys said with a quavering voice.

"That's no excuse." Wednesday admonished while staring into the eyes of the preteens. "You can hit, you can kick, you can bite." She went on to elaborate clinically. "Our house totem is the badger. When agitated or threatened, a badger attacks viciously. Even if you can't win, you can make it a very costly victory for your enemy."

Silence filled the hall. The Slytherins craned their necks to look at her incredulously, and the firsties still looked confused.

"Go on, they've provoked you. Make them regret it now. I'm not going to do it for you." Wednesday prompted, urging the children to attack their tormentors.

A few seconds passed, and Wednesday began to wonder if she would have to take an even more hands on approach.

The smallest boy seemed to come to a decision as he scrunched up his face into a frown. He stepped forward, wound up, and kicked the older boy in the shin as hard as he could.

"Are you insane!" The Slytherin girl all but shouted as her companion fell to the ground. "You're seriously going to do this?"

Ignoring the girl, Wednesday let go of the boy, and plucked his wand out of his hand just to be safe. "Good, the three of you need to show him why you do not mess with a badger.

Emboldened, the other two children joined the first, and the three firsties rained a flurry of angry kicks and punches on the downed Slytherin. The older boy tried to defend himself, but soon resorted to curling into the fetal position.

"Good, now her." Wednesday said as she disarmed and released the Slytherin girl.

The girl immediately tried to escape, but was stopped short when the little Hufflepuff girl snagged her long hair. Lashing out in fear after seeing her friend beaten by the younger students, the Slytherin girl managed to clip the younger girl in the face with her elbow.

High on adrenaline, and caught up in the moment, the two boys reacted violently to seeing their friend crumple to the ground, crying and clutching her jaw in pain. Tackling the older girl to the ground, the two boys ferociously beat on her in retribution.

Smiling, Wendesday pulled her younger housemates off of the whimpering girl. "Very good. Now, check on your friend while I talk with these two."

Wednesday dragged the two bullies over to the wall, and set their wands down in front of them. "Next time, I doubt they'll need my help." She lifted their heads to ensure they were looking at her, and she allowed the corner of her lips to raise. "And to be honest, I'm looking forward to the revenge you're no doubt planning against me."

She gently slammed their heads back into the wall, rendering them unconscious. Satisfied, she turned her attention to her young housemates.

"Remember what I said about badgers, but for now follow me, and I'll lead you back to our common room." Wednesday advised as she started to walk away.

"Shouldn't we go to the infirmary?" One of the boys asked.

"I suppose." Wednesday agreed. "I don't know where it is though."

-o-o-

Ernie Macmillan was leaving the common room, as Wednesday approached leading the first years. He immediately abandoned his plans when he noticed the little girl holding her jaw, which looked broken.

"Merlin, what happened? Never mind. come on, let's get you to the infirmary." Ernie knelt to get a closer look at the injured first year. "I'm going to immobilize your face okay? I can't take away the pain, but if you can't move it, it won't get worse."

The little girl nodded with tears in her eyes, and her two friends hovered protectively near her as the prefect froze her jaw.

Satisfied, Ernie started to bring her to Madam Pomfrey. "You should come too, so you know where the infirmary is next time." He said when he noticed Wednesday wasn't following.

"Don't worry, I'll ask someone." Wednesday responded as she knocked to open the barrel leading to the common room.

She disappeared though the portal before he could insist, and headed toward her room. As she walked, Wednesday wondered if she should go back out and continue to explore, or stay in and work on her Runes project.

Upon entering the dorm room, she saw Leanne sitting on her bed staring as a length of rope. Wednesday walked up to Leanne and picked up one end of the rope.

"Gah!" Leanne cried out in surprise. "Merlin Wednesday! I didn't even hear you come in."

"Your rope is fairly soft, I'm not sure how useful it will be." The pale girl pointed out as she rubbed the rope with her thumb.

"Well, I liked the idea of the rope, but not so much the idea of rope burn." Leanne explained with a blush. "I can't figure out how to use it though. I can summon ropes with my wand, but saying incarcerus doesn't seem as... um... well, sexy as tying someone up by hand."

Leanne's blush deepened as Leanne held out the whole rope to Wednesday. "Can you show me what to do?"

-o-o-

Hannah walked into the dorm room. Having heard Wednesday's voice, she started asking a question as she walked through the door. "I passed Ernie a few minute's ago. What ha... in the name of Merlin are you doing?"

"Oh come on!" Leanne complained in exasperation. "I thought I was going to have the room to myself for longer than this."

Leanne was bright red, and secured to her four poster. Her hands were each tied high up to a different post at the foot of the bed, and one of her legs was tied to one of the bed's legs. Wednesday was looping a length of rope around Leanne's one free leg, forcing it to be lifted high. The total effect was that Leanne was posed to be taken advantage of.

"She was interested in learning how to use ropes." Wednesday explained without pausing, as she finished tying off the rope. "We've only just started, so if you're interested as well, I'll explain what I've done here."

"No!" Hannah squeaked and shook her head vigorously. "This is more of that stuff you talked about yesterday, isn't it? … Oh Merlin, you're going to whip her aren't you? Leanne, why on earth do you want her to beat you?"

Hannah started talking faster as her mind conjured forth what she considered the worst case scenario. Wednesday just watched Hannah passively, idly wondering if she would pass out, or remember to breathe.

"Hannah. Hannah! Hannah!" Leanne barked, trying to get the frantic girl's attention without also attracting anymore spectators. "Calm down! She's just showing me how to tie knots and stuff. She is not going to beat me. What is wrong with you?"

With the wand in her hand that Hannah hadn't noticed, Leanne loosened the ropes, and unbound herself before anyone else came and got the wrong idea. "I'm not interested in that pain stuff, and even if I was, do you really think Wednesday would cheat on Harry? We're Hufflepuffs, loyal remember?"

"I already told you, sex is about what feels good. Do I look like I'm enjoying myself?" Wednesday asked with a raised eyebrow.

A little wild eyed, Hannah calmed down and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, it's just after what you told Susan and me yesterday... I still don't get it, but I'll try not to freak out about it."

"Did I miss a fun conversation?" Leanne asked as she coiled her rope back up, and tossed it into her trunk. "It sounds like I missed a fun conversation."

"Hannah and Susan though the bruises Harry gave me meant that he was abusing me." Wednesday shrugged. "I gave them the same talk my mother gave me, about love and sex, and then told them exactly what I planned to do to Harry if I can manage to catch him off guard next time."

Hannah blanched and Wednesday smirked, as both thought about the details of that part of their talk.

Leanne just laughed, and started getting ready to head to Charms. "I think when we have more time, I want to hear the details."

-o-o-

In the north tower, a small group of students stood at the base of the ladder to the Divination classroom. Wednesday looked up to see that the trapdoor was open, but no one seemed interested in climbing up.

"Is there a reason why everyone is just waiting around instead of going into the classroom?" Wednesday asked, not seeing one herself.

Parvati Patil waved her hand toward the circular opening. "We're waiting for the professor. You can see from here that the room is dark. She hasn't arrived yet."

Wednesday stared blankly at the Gryffindor girl. "It hadn't occurred to you that an open door means come in?"

Acting on her words, Wednesday climbed the ladder, and disappeared into the darkness. The students all milled around for a little longer, before following her lead one by one.

Once inside the Divination classroom, it was clear that they were meant to come in. Professor Frump was at the far end of the room, and she was Illuminated by a series of candles in a semicircle behind and around her. She sat in a simple wooden chair, at a simple wooden table, with her eyes closed, and her arms resting on the table in front of her.

As everyone's eyes grew used to the dark, they noticed the layout of the room. In stark contrast to the way that Professor Trelawney had set up the room, it was relatively bare. The windows were all covered with dark blackout curtains, and the only light came from the candles around the professor.

There was no oppressive incense, and instead of chintz, the chairs were simply bare wood. The small round tables had two basic wooden chairs each, and a single unlit candle. Beyond that, the only furnishing was the rows of wooden shelves that still held various tools of the trade.

From where she sat, Wednesday noticed that unlike Ancient Runes, Divination was populated mostly by Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. She did notice a lone Slytherin girl looking around for a partner to sit with, and considering the house prejudices, she looked none too pleased at her options. As a silent offer, Wednesday pushed the second chair at her table out toward the rather muscular looking girl.

Though she would never admit it, Millicent Bulstrode came very close to shrieking in surprise as a chair slid toward her from the gloom. She had not noticed the Addams girl even though she was mere feet away, so her heart was beating a mile a minute as she accepted the offer and sat down.

Being the last to find a partner, as Millicent sat down, Professor Frump spoke in a detached voice. "Divination as you all should know by now, is guided more by feeling than set rules. Despite what others seem to think, anyone is capable of divining accurately. The real art of divination is knowing when you have done so."

The old crone's eyes flashed open to reveal that they were clouded and unfocused, but as she continued they slowly cleared revealing her dark brown eyes. "No two witches divine in quite the same way, and this year you will hone your skills in the manner most suited to you. To get this far, each of you must have some talent. If not, then you cheated, or you are very lucky. Those are useful talents as well, but I'll be able to tell soon enough if there are any here who do not belong. For now, using whatever method you think will work, try and foresee something, preferably in the near future so that we can confirm your results."

The remainder of the class involved the students attempting to find the tools and techniques that best suited them. Professor Frump hobbled around, occasionally offering advice or pointing out that someone was wasting their time.

Lavender Brown was carefully laying out tarot cards on the table, when the professor gathered them up in one smooth motion.

"Pointless. In your hands these are just pieces of cardboard with pretty pictures. Try something else." The elderly witch advised, merely nodding at Parvati who was also using the tarot.

Lavender looked stricken. "But Professor Trelawney said I had talent!"

The wizened crone cackled, revealing her crooked yellow teeth. "Then she was either humoring you for her own amusement, or she wasn't very talented herself."

"Professor Trelawney is a great teacher, and a great seer!" Lavender insisted, and Parvati nodded in agreement.

Continuing to chuckle as she looked Lavender over. "If that were true, she would be here instead of me." Coming to a decision, she pointed at the shelves. "Try tea leaves, they should work better for you."

Professor Frump raised her voice to address the whole room. "There are hundreds of different ways to divine. The methods you have already gone over are the most common, and it is likely one will be fairly suited to your needs. Once you find the common method that works best for you, we will begin exploring the other methods. By the end of the year, you each should have a grasp on where your strengths lie. I have a particular affinity for using a crystal ball, but I can also see using a fire with nearly the same reliability."

Since she tended to have fairly vivid and memorable dreams, Millicent was trying to interpret them. She couldn't help but notice that Wednesday was doing nothing.

"Aren't you going to try anything? I doubt the professor is going to just tell you what you'll be good at." Millicent pointed out.

"None of the common methods work well for me. I can use tarot cards, but not with any kind of precision." Wednesday explained. "Grandmama knows this, but if you'd like, I can probably give you a good idea what less common method you should try first."

"Professor Frump is your grandmother?" Milicent asked rhetorically, then followed up with a real question. "How are you going to tell what method I should use?"

Wednesday leaned forward. "Look into my eyes, and think about what you want to know."

Millicent shrugged, and stared into Wednesday's eyes. The pale Hufflepuff's intense gaze made her uncomfortable, and she turned away shortly after they started.

"You should focus better." Wednesday admonished. "Unless you intend to use ritual human sacrifice, I doubt the nude boy I saw will help you much."

Eyes growing wide, Millicent blushed as she realized she'd been wondering whether she'd ever find a boyfriend or not. "Um right, not sacrifice... Who was it?"

"The boy?" Wednesday raised an eyebrow. "I don't know. You looked away too soon. Besides, I'm not as good as Grandmama. Even my best requires some interpretation. What were you thinking about anyway?"

"Nothing." Millicent said forcefully. She quickly went back to interpreting her dreams, too embarrassed to continue talking with Wednesday.

-o-o-

"Miss Addams." Professor Sprout called out before Wednesday had even managed to step off of the ladder to the Divination classroom. "I just had a conversation with Professor Slughorn regarding two of his Slytherins. Before that, I was called to the infirmary because one of my first years had her jaw broken. Now I believe I have a clear picture of what happened, but I would like your side of the story before I pass judgment"

"My housemates were being victimized, so I taught them how to not be victims." Wednesday stated succinctly.

Professor sprout shook her head. "I understand that you thought you were helping, but beating up students two years younger than you isn't the way to do it. It doesn't matter that they were picking on first years. You should have been able to stop them without hurting them"

Wednesday tilted her head to the side. "I don't see why; Besides, I didn't hurt them, I had the children do it."

"You expect me to believe that my first years were able to hurt a pair fourteen-year-olds bad enough that they needed Madam Pomfrey's care?" Professor Sprout looked disappointed. "From what Professor Slughorn and I pieced together, you took it upon yourself to punish a pair of bullies, and convinced three eleven-year-olds to accept responsibility for your actions."

"What reason would I have to hurt them myself?" Wednesday asked rhetorically. "The entire point of my intervention, was to teach those three. I couldn't care less about two random strangers from another house."

Professor Sprout sighed. "Alright, let's assume that you didn't directly hurt those Slytherins. From your story, you still facilitated their injuries."

"I was under the impression that my house is my family while I am here. What would you have had me do when I came across three of my own family being victims?" Wednesday asked curiously. She had thought the restraint she had shown fell in line with the surroundings. Had they been Addams children in some back alley... Well, no intervention would have been needed, but there certainly wouldn't have been survivors at any rate.

"You should have disarmed or otherwise subdued the bullies, without harming them." Professor Sprout said firmly. "I expect better judgment from my badgers."

Wednesday raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Gryffindors are encouraged to be as brave and strong as a lion. Slytherins are encouraged to be snake-like as they cautiously pursue their ambition, striking lightning quick, but only when victory is assured. Ravenclaws are encouraged to hold themselves high above everyone else, metaphorically soaring like an eagle in their pursuit of knowledge. Why then, do you not encourage your Hufflepuffs to espouse the traits of a badger?"

"Badgers are friendly, hardworking creatures." The professor pointed out.

"Badgers are also vicious, dangerous creatures." Wednesday countered. "Would you expect a badger to merely disarm its tormenter?"

Professor Sprout looked unamused. "I think your taking the Hufflepuff animal too literally. As punishment for this little incident, you'll be serving detention with me after dinner. We'll be repotting some of the more dangerous plants, and continuing this discussion of how a Hufflepuff should act."

-o-o-

As she stared at the freshly repotted plants, particularly the African strangler, Professor Sprout tried to understand what had just happened. Miss Addams had wrangled some of the most troublesome plants in her greenhouse, and she had done it without bothering with any protective gear.

She had been so shocked, that she could only watch as Miss Addams casually swatted away fanged vines and deftly avoided sharp thorns. That strangler plant had climbed onto the girl as if it were a pet! Most surprising of all was that the African strangler actually seemed to be helping the child replant it. It was the least controllable of her plants, and Miss Addams had it behaving well, for no discernible reason.

Instead of lecturing the girl on how a Hufflepuff should act, she found herself just watching in amazement as Miss Addams made quick work of her punishment. In fact, the girl had talked while she worked, logically defending her point of view.

Somehow, Professor Sprout wound up agreeing with portions of her 'Puff's argument. It was well known that Hufflepuff students were often victimized by bullies, as they were the house least likely to fight back. Perhaps she should encourage her badgers to defend themselves more, just not to the extent that Miss Addams seemed to consider appropriate.

-o-o-

Thursday morning after breakfast, Harry and Wednesday made their way across the grounds to Hagrid's hut. There was a fairly small group bothering with the subject, likely because Hagrid's teaching methods scared off more than a few. Those left were either truly interested in magical creatures, or felt they'd need the NEWT for their future career.

Both Professors Grubbly-Plank and Hagrid were waiting outside the hut. Hagrid sat on the steps of his home, which served to bring him down to about the same height of Professor Grubbly-Plank, who stood just in front of him and to the side. There was a mix of emotion on the half-giant's face. Nervousness, eagerness, joy, and sorrow all vied for superiority on his mountainous features. Once all of the attending sixth years gathered, Professor Grubbly-Plank addressed the students.

"I'm sure many of you wonder why both Professor Hagrid and myself are teaching this class." She stated with some discomfort. She didn't like what her presence was doing to the sweet man behind her, and not for the first time, wished that she wasn't needed to curb the man's enthusiasm. "While it is true that we both will be teaching, we will be teaching different years. Professor Hagrid's knowledge and talent exceed my own, so he will be teaching sixth and seventh years. As long as you pay attention, there should be no reason for you to get anything less than an E on your NEWTs next year."

There were a few barely audible groans, but Harry had a wide smile on his face. Since Hagrid was watching Harry in particular, he felt better about the situation despite the reluctance of some of the other students.

"None of that." Professor Grubbly-Plank said sharply. "You're all NEWT students, and are more than capable of handling Professor Hagrid's unique teaching style. Much like I expect you all to do well, so long as you pay attention, I also expect there will not be any serious injuries."

She drew back the sleeve of her robes to reveal a nasty looking scar that ran from her wrist to her elbow. "Even in the best circumstances, Care of Magical Creatures at the NEWT level is dangerous. You should be in less danger with Professor Hagrid than with me, but the moment you act foolish or complacent, you will wind up in the infirmary."

Hagrid stood, bringing him up to his full eleven foot height, where he towered over his fellow professor. "Professor Grubbly-Plank is still in charge overall, so if'n you have a problem wit' the way I teach, go see her." He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "I realize I've been forgettin' that I'm not as fragile as all of you, so she's also gone over and okayed of each of the lessons I'll be givin' you. She's too nice ta say it, but I'm allowed ta teach you older kids 'cause if I slip up and forget, you should be old enough to protect yerselves."

Hagrid clapped his hands together. "Well, best get on with it then. I have a real treat fer you all. Come along, and keep on the trail."

Leaving behind Professor Grubbly-Plank, Hagrid led the class into the forbidden forest. After a few minutes, they came to a small clearing where a griffin lay toward the far end.

"Now, this 'eres a young griffin." Hagrid said as he stopped everyone before they entered the clearing. "He's a bit enthusiastic, so its best if everyone stay out of the clearing. The older ones 'll listen ta reason a bit more than the young ones do, but all of 'em are dangerous, an' smart too. Wizards 'ave used adult griffins as guards fer as long as as anyone can remember. See, if you can befriend one, they'll be loyal ta you 'till the end. the trick is that they're as deadly as they're beautiful, and it's not easy ta get one ta trust you."

The lesson went surprisingly smoothly. The young griffin stalked around the clearing, coming to the edge, but staying within the boundaries. Considering griffins were close to the most dangerous creature the students had ever encountered, even Draco followed Hagrid's instructions to the letter.

Contrary to what most people thought, Draco had known exactly what he had been doing when he provoked the hippogriff into attacking him back in his third year. Back then, he had been certain that the hippogriff would show some restraint, but he knew the young griffin would take his head clean off without a second thought. As much as he would like to get the half-giant fired, he wasn't stupid enough to risk his life. Besides, Black seemed to like the big oaf, and Draco was not prepared to cross him. Not yet at any rate.

At the end of the lesson, while Hagrid led the class back through the forest, Wednesday took the time to relay a message she'd nearly forgotten. "Grandmama wanted you to know that she received your gift, and was very happy. She also wanted you to show her where you bought them. Ingredients like those aren't easy to come by."

"I just asked around Knockturn Alley." Harry said with a humble shrug. "Eventually I found a place that didn't ask questions so long as I had plenty of gold."

Curious about how uneventful the lesson had been, Draco fell back to walk along side Wednesday, but made sure to still keep his distance. "I heard what you did for your entrance exam. I'm surprised you didn't show off, and pet the stupid beast."

"It wouldn't have been worth it." Harry said as he shook his head. "That griffin is way too young. It's not just coincidence that Gryffindor was Godric's last name."

"An older griffin would know not to attack me." Wednesday clarified. "That one would have bravely tried anyway. We're supposed to study it for the next few classes, and I don't think the professor would appreciate it if I killed his specimen."

Draco eyed Wednesday trying to figure out if she was serious or not. It took at least three fully trained wizards to subdue a griffin with any amount of safety. For just a moment, Draco felt a cold shiver. Looking at Black and his girlfriend, he realized the girlfriend was the more dangerous one. Maybe he'd rethink his plans to take control of the Black family. It was starting to look downright suicidal.

After everyone had left the forest, Hagrid called out. "Harry, would you mind stayin' fer a minute or two?"

Shrugging, Harry waved Wednesday on as he headed over to the hulking man. Harry stopped several yards away out of caution. Hagrid had always been an unyielding believer in Dumbledore, and Harry wasn't about to get too close to him just in case. His half-giant nature meant that Harry would have difficulty escaping the man's grasp if he wasn't careful. He wasn't nearly good enough with his knife yet, and while he felt he could best Hagrid using his wand, it wouldn't exactly be easy.

Once there was enough distance between them and the rest of the students, Hagrid spoke. "Ah, there's been a lot of talk among the Order Harry, an' I'm not sure what I believe."

"You're not just taking Dumbledore's word as truth?" Harry asked, more then a little surprised.

"Dumbledore's a great man Harry. If he says somethin's the truth, then of course I believe him." Hagrid said firmly. "Haven't talked with him in months though. I been takin' care of things 'ere at Hogwarts. Every once an' awhile an Order member stops by and catches me up on what's goin' on."

Fingering his wand in his pocket just in case, Harry smirked. "I doubt they've had much of anything nice to say about me. Either that, or they're still going on about that rubbish about how I need rescuing."

"Different people have tol' me different things." Hagrid said slowly, uncertainty apparent in his tone. "Most think yer in some sort of trouble, an' I should take you ta Dumbledore fer your own good. They also seem ta think you'll fight me about it."

"They're right about that at least." Harry said, his face turning serious. "There's no way I'm going to let anyone bring me to Dumbledore."

Hagrid looked conflicted. He cared deeply for Harry, but he trusted Dumbledore without reservation. "I don't know what's happened Harry, but I'm not gonna do anthin' fer now."

Even though he doubted Hagrid could pull of deceit of any kind, Harry didn't relax his guard. "What about the others? The ones who don't think you should take me to Dumbledore."

"Well, It's strange." The huge man said as he scratched his head and looked off at nothing. " Little Nym... er, Tonks that is, was one of the one's wanting me ta help capture you once you came back ta Hogwarts. Only thing is, she stopped by the other day, an' changed her mind. She tol' me she didn't know what's what anymore, an' I should talk ta you before I made any sorta choice."

Harry smiled. It looked like he wouldn't have to kill Tonks after all. He still wanted to hear from her himself, but this was at least encouraging.

"Remus came ta visit, and also tol' me to listen ta you 'fore I did anything. He tried ta tell me Dumbledore's done somethin' wrong, but I can't believe that." Hagrid continued as he thought hard on the situation. "Dumbledore's a great man."

"He's just a wizard Hagrid. He's not perfect, and from my perspective, he's anything but great." Harry asserted. "Think about this: If he's so great, then why isn't he headmaster anymore? He did unforgivable things to me Hagrid. Someday I'll make him pay, but I can wait."

Harry carefully drew his wand to emphasize his next point. "I've always liked you, and I think you're brilliant with creatures, but I will kill you if you try to take me to him. If I can't manage that, then I'll kill myself. Either way, I'll never give Dumbledore another chance to screw with me."

"Harry..." Hagrid was at a loss for words. He really didn't know what to do.

"We're at school." Harry pointed out. "Just be a professor, and leave that Order rubbish behind for now. Deal?"

"Jus' one question Harry. Are you still..." Hagrid began.

"No." Harry interrupted. "Whatever you're thinking, the answer is no. I'm not still anything, that's the point. Harry Potter was a fictional character that Dumbledore created. I'm Harry Black, completely different.

-o-o-

"Okay, the simpler we make this, the better chance we have to make it work." Ron pointed out. "If you're sure that your potions will work, we only have two problems that need to be figured out."

"They'll work." Hermione asserted. "I've looked up every form of mind control there is, and all of them can be broken with a strong enough will. The imperius is the worst of them all, and we already know Harry can beat that one."

Nodding, Ron continued. "Then we just need to get him alone, and get him to drink the potions somehow. With the map, getting him alone shouldn't be too bad. I can keep an eye on him, and make sure she isn't anywhere nearby. Then, if we both ambush him together and nail him with the full body bind or something similar, we can force him to drink the potions easy enough. It's important that we don't use stunners. Fred 'n' George told me that they don't work on him at all for some weird reason. Summoned ropes should do the trick, 'specially if we both cast multiple times."

"I think I have something that could make things easier." Hermione said, reaching into her robes. She pulled out a flask containing a muddy brown potion. "Polyjuice. I... borrowed some from Professor Slughorn when I brewed the other potions."

Ron shook his head, and chuckled to himself. "You always talk about following the rules and being a good example, but you're just and bad as me 'n' Harry."

"It's an emergency!" She defended herself a little too quickly. "Besides, I've already started brewing some more to replace what I've taken."

"Where'd you get the ingredients?" Ron asked with a knowing smirk. "I remember second year, you can't just owl order some of them."

"Shut up Ron!" Hermione flushed in both embarrassment and anger. "I'm doing the best I can. Now can we please talk about the plan instead of my rule breaking?"

"Right, right, sorry 'Mione. It's just not often I get to point out what rules you're breaking." Ron said with a completely unrepentant smile. "The polyjuice might make things easier, but it also means there's one more thing that can go wrong. What did you have in mind for it?"

Hermione pulled out a small phial that had a very long strand of black hair curled up within it. "During Herbology class, when that stupid tentacula tried to grab me, I fell back and landed on my bum remember? Well when I was on the ground, I notice this. That awful girl is the only one with straight black hair this long, except for maybe Cho Chang. One thing for certain, it didn't come from a stupid cat."

"So, no catgirl Hermione this time around?" Ron started to joke, only to back down when she scowled at him. "Sorry, but what if it is Cho's hair, or someone else you haven't thought of?"

"Then we either go with your plan, or put off the whole thing until later. As long as the hair is human, worst case scenario is, I'm stuck as someone else for an hour."

"Alright... Let me think about this some more then." Ron scratched his head as he thought. "Friday is probably the soonest we'll be able to try anything. I'll keep thinking over what could go wrong, and we'll see if we can catch Harry alone Friday. If we can't, we'll just keep waiting for our chance. Don't take your luck potion thing until we at least think we have a chance, okay? I'm not sure I trust that stuff too much."

-o-o-

Author's note: I promise, next chapter has Ron and Hermione putting their plan into motion. I've got chapter 16 about 75% written, so if real life doesn't conspire to keep me from writing, the next update should come quicker than usual.

To Paul Veith reviewing chapter 14: Wow! Thanks for the great review. I love getting giant reviews/messages.

Light and Dark are relatively easy to define, and thus are objective titles. Good and Evil necessitate a point of view to define, and therefore are subjective. We tend to associate Good with Light, and Evil with Dark, but as you've pointed out, they don't always line up neatly like that, because what good and evil are changes depending on who you are.

Dumbledore's treatment of Harry doesn't just approach evil, it flat out is evil, and he knows it. It's one of those situations where the 'good guy' knowingly does something evil to prevent a greater evil. Dumbledore's fabled 'greater good' required that Harry not be allowed to grow up as the budding psychopath he was as a young child. Given the right circumstances, Harry could have easily grown up to be a dark lord so twisted he would make Voldemort seem like a schoolyard bully. Dumbledore doesn't have the right to make that decision, and that is one of the reasons why what he did was evil.

You describe the Addams family very well, and succinctly too.

Whether or not Wednesday is evil, again comes down to point of view. I believe you may reconsider your opinion when I point out that she murdered her first boyfriend in cold blood. The poor boy worshiped her, and she had his death planned out pretty much from the beginning. This is canon Wednesday too, straight from the movies.

Indeed, Hermione allows herself to be defined by other people, which ultimately means that she doesn't make moral decisions for herself. If her plan goes as intended, then she will essentially murder Harry. She can't, not won't, can't see it that way though, because her mind just doesn't work that way.

Not a bad idea for Harry's patronus. I'll keep it in mind as a candidate for when I sit down to make a decision.

To Guest reviewing chapter 14: Another great review, thanks!

I'm glad you like my sex scenes, but I'm not sure where you got the idea that I find them distasteful. Heck, it could be argued that this entire story is an excuse for me to write twisted Harry/Wednesday sex scenes.

There are two main reasons that I keep my sex scenes highly suggestive instead of being explicit. 1: Not going into fine detail allows a level of ambiguity so that the reader fills in the gaps with their own knowledge/experience. This means that I can cater to the tastes of a much wider range of readers. 2: The most important reason is that scenes depicting explicit sex are against the site's rules. I know my luck, and if I were to step one toe over the line, not only would they delete my story, but likely my whole account to make an example of me. Seriously, my luck is that bad. Murphy likes making me his bitch.

I do try to add character development into each sex scene, I'm glad that this hasn't gone unnoticed.

Okay, as I am not a professional, do NOT take the following as advice or universal fact. Pain actually can have a place in a healthy sexual relationship. This isn't true for everybody, but for many a little bit of pain can increase pleasure tremendously. There are people who like it rough in a myriad of different ways like hair pulling or spanking, heck some people even like a dangerous level of roughness. Sometimes bruises that come from sex really aren't a sign of abuse.

Having said all of that, Harry and Wednesday take things to an entirely different level that I certainly cannot say is healthy, save that they have primal magic flowing through their veins, and genuinely enjoy any level of pain.

Hmm, while mutual understanding and trust is very important in a real sexual relationship, Harry and Wednesday do not have the understanding you seem to think they do. When I say Wednesday feels fear, I mean it. She does not know that Harry won't kill her, and he doesn't know that she won't kill him. In fact, they both expect the other to try at some point, though not necessarily when they are helpless. The Addams point of view, and by extension Harry's, comes into play here; you have to realize that death to them, while not ideal any time soon, is something to look forward to.

I'm glad you like my work, and I hope my explanations haven't changed that.

To Guest reviewing chapter 14: I'm glad you liked the sex scene. Of them all, I think that one was the closest to being realistic.

To Spuffylover19 reviewing chapter 14: I hope this chapter met with your expectations.

Hermione and Ron will act on their plan to 'save' Harry next chapter. I originally meant for it to happen this chapter, but the chapter would have wound up somewhere north of 11,000 words.

To Guest reviewing chapter 14: A patronus is supposed to reflect the personality of the caster, so when I do sit down to figure out what Harry's is, I won't be considering anything but predators and/or dark creatures. Although now that I say that, I kind of want to give him a nice fluffy bunny for a patronus. Monty Python fans will understand. :)


	16. Hermione's desperation

Author's note: When I posted chapter 15, I only had to type 1 to 2K, give or take, to finish chapter 16. A single writing session easy. Alas, getting uninterrupted time to do said session was easier said than done. No matter, here's chapter 16, and I give up trying to guess how long it will take me to write the next chapter.

As always, thanks for reading! Special thanks to those of you who have reviewed or messaged me. I love reading your thoughts, so continue letting me know what you think. Your review might inspire something great in future chapters. :)

-o-o-

Chapter 16

Hermione's desperation

-o-o-

Luna chose the Gryffindor table for lunchtime on Friday. Before when this happened, Hermione and Ron made a point to sit far from where Harry and Wednesday would no doubt join the odd Ravenclaw. This time, they carefully sat close enough where they could overhear any conversation, but not so close that they might have to interact with them.

"I don't get it." Ron whispered to Hermione. "It's a bloody severed hand, how come no one thinks that's creepy?"

"From what some of the other girls have said, I think everyone believes it's a magical construct, like something your brothers might make." Hermione answered, keeping her voice low.

Ron looked thoughtful. "I hadn't thought of that... You think that's what it really is?"

"Of course not. You remember what that girl told us about her family... I wouldn't be surprised if it's closer to an inferius." Hermione whispered as she watched the hand in question out of the corner of her eye. "Whatever it is, I'll bet it took dark magic to create."

As Ron and Hermione debated Thing's origins, Luna had a seemingly one sided conversation with him. She had long since forgiven Thing for his lapse of good judgment the other day, but still kept him within arms reach at meal times.

Eventually, Harry and Wednesday joined their blonde friend, and the trio enjoyed their meal with scattered conversation. Occasionally Neville or Katie would throw in their two cents about whatever topic came up.

"I have to admit, from what you two said, I was expecting Professor Hagrid's lesson to be far more entertaining." Wednesday voiced her disappointment.

"If by entertaining, you mean dangerous, then yeah." Neville agreed. I heard that under Headmaster Tofty, Hagrid's pretty much on probation. He's been told that if he crosses a line this year then he's out. He knows more about some creatures than most of the ministry's experts, so they wanted to keep him, but only if he can prove that he can keep his class safe. Either way, I'm glad I don't have to take his class anymore."

"We could probably go talk to him outside of class. Even if his hands are tied and he can't help you directly, I'm sure he'd let you know how you could find a good pet yourself." Harry suggested. "In fact, why don't we go right after lunch?"

"I thought we had plans already?" She pointed out.

"It's no big deal, how long can it take to ask him a few questions?" Harry thought for a moment. "Why don't you go talk to Hagrid, and I'll get things ready. When you're done we can play."

Katie smirked and leaned forward to make eye contact with Harry. "Going off somewhere to play? Naughty naughty."

Harry shook his head. "Not that kind of playing."

"No? So I can't ask to join in whatever sexy game you two have planned?" Katie joked.

He took a moment to stare at Katie's grinning face questioningly. "Where was this Katie the last six years? You've never been this outgoing."

Katie sighed. "I miss Angelina and Alicia, and without them I'm bored. It's my last year here, so I figured I'd have fun. Unfortunately, NEWTs are taking up most of my time, but at least I can act like I'm cutting loose."

"So much has changed this year, I wouldn't be surprised if more people try to reinvent themselves." Neville said, then pointed to himself. "Heck look at me. I've lost weight, gained some confidence, and I haven't screwed a spell up all week."

"You have a point." Harry agreed. He turned to Luna as he thought of one of the bigger changes. "This is your OWL year, so you have to be taking History. What's it like with Binns gone?"

Luna cocked her head to the side. "He isn't gone. He still shows up and lectures every day."

"That can't be right. What about Professor Croaker then?" Neville asked as he turned to confirm that the Unspeakable was there at the head table. The professor was indeed there, and talking with his Gran as well.

"Well, at first he tried to get Professor Binns to go away, but he was ignored. Then he tried to talk louder, but nobody could understand anything with two lectures going at once. He even threatened to call in the spirit division of the ministry to exorcise Binns." Luna looked off into the distance. "I think he was bluffing though."

Everyone was silent, waiting for Luna to continue. When she continued eating instead, Katie started motioning with her hands for Luna to finish.

"Well?" Katie asked impatiently.

"Hmm?" Luna looked confused. "What?"

Katie theatrically slumped forward and hit her head on the table. "What did Croaker wind up doing about Binns?" She asked in exasperation.

"He moved everyone to a new classroom of course." Luna replied while still appearing confused. "I thought that was obvious."

Katie eyed Luna critically, then looked to Harry. "Did she do that on purpose? Is she screwing with me?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Harry said with a smile. "She isn't wrong though, it is the obvious answer."

Katie just glared at Harry before continuing to eat, pointedly ignoring him out of spite for the rest of the meal.

-o-o-

Hermione stood in her robes that she had charmed to be Hufflepuff black and yellow, staring at the four potions laid out before her. A will strengthening solution, a wit-sharpening potion, the small phial of felix felicis, and the polyjuice potion that she'd 'borrowed' from Professor Slughorn. Ron had his eyes glued to the Marauder's Map, keeping an eye on both Harry and Wednesday.

"Just like we overheard, she's heading down to Hagrid's hut, and Harry's still in the castle." Ron looked up. "I think now is going to be our best chance."

With a determined nod, Hermione took a measured sip of the felix felicis.

"Well, feel anything?" Ron asked hopefully.

Hermione smiled, a bright cheerful smile that looked entirely out of place considering the seriousness of the situation. "This is going to work, I just know it will. By this time tomorrow, I'll be Harry's best friend again."

"You mean we'll all be friends again right?" Ron said, a twinge of jealousy flaring that he ruthlessly stamped back down. He was Harry's best friend. Hermione was a close second though, so it wasn't worth getting upset about. Not now anyway.

Instead of replying, Hermione dropped a long black strand of hair into the polyjuice, and the potion bubbled and fizzed as the hair was absorbed, turning the potion an inky black. Without hesitation, she held her nose and downed the potion. Her cheery smile faltered, and turned into a grimace.

"Ugh, this tastes worse than I remember." She croaked after swallowing. Soon she doubled over, in clear agony. Falling to her hands and knees, she began to retch.

"Hermione!" Ron abandoned the map to hover over his friend, holding her hair back as she vomited onto the floor.

"It's okay... really... she just tastes vile, that's all. I just hope I didn't throw it all up." Hermione gasped as the potion began to change her.

Ron watched as Hermione's wild, chestnut hair straightened itself, lengthened, and turned pitch black. Her frame seemed to collapse in on itself as she grew thinner, and her skin paled significantly. Gasping for air, she clenched her now petite fists. Not knowing what else to do, Ron just waited as the potion finished it's transformation. Finally still, Hermione slowly stood back up, looking exactly like Wednesday, save for her pained expression.

"Blimey 'Mione." Ron exclaimed. "I don't remember it being that bad when we did this in second year. Are you alright."

Taking a deep breathe, Hermione smiled with Wednesday's face. "Everything's perfect Ron, now..." She stilled her featured, and allowed her face to relax completely. "How do I look?" Hermione asked in Wednesday's monotone.

"I don't know what's worse, seeing her face smile like that, or seeing you look and sound just like her." Ron said as he took an involuntary step back. "Let me double check the map."

"Don't worry." Hermione said as she pocketed the remaining potions. "I'm just going to go to the bathroom."

"Bathroom? Hermione, we don't know how much time you'll have, you need to hurry." Ron urged. "Why didn't you go before we started all of this?"

Hermione started walking away. "I don't need to use the bathroom Ron. I just need to go to the bathroom."

"Bloody hell, this isn't going to work. The polyjuice was a bad idea, she's gone nutters because of that evil girl's hair." Ron swore as he shook his head.

After gathering everything up, and vanishing the vomit, he remembered he was supposed to be watching over the map. Ron started to swear in earnest as he searched the map. Harry and Hermione weren't anywhere on it, and Wednesday was heading back into the castle.

-o-o-

Hermione walked with purpose toward a particular girls bathroom. As she approached the door, she could hear Harry talking with Moaning Myrtle. Feeling the felix felicis guiding her, she pushed open the door as she walked right in.

"Looks like Wednesday's here Myrtle, so I'll have to cut our conversation short for now." Harry said to the ghostly apparition.

Pouting slightly, Myrtle looked at Hermione with jealousy apparent on her face.

Noticing that Myrtle was preparing to throw one of her self-pity tantrums, Harry quickly spoke up. "I promise, we can talk later. Wednesday and I just have something to do now. Okay?"

"Okay Harry." Myrtle smiled as she fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Don't forget, if you accidentally die down there, you can always stay with me, and share my toilet."

"I'll remember that." Harry replied noncommittally as he moved to stand in front of one of the sinks.

Hermione watched, hiding her fascination, as Harry spoke at the sink in parseltongue. Before her eyes the sinks moved out of the way, and a passageway opened up. Another few words in parseltongue, and a smaller passage opened just inside the first.

"After you." Harry said with a grin as he bowed low, waving his hand toward the smaller passageway.

Trusting in felix, Hermione stepped onto the stairway, and walked confidently downward into the darkness. She heard Harry say goodbye to Myrtle, and follow behind her. After a moment, the passageway closed, and what little light there was, disappeared. Panic slowly started to seep in, despite the sense that everything was as it should be.

Suddenly torches flared to life, illuminating the stairs, and chasing away her doubts. At the bottom of the stairs, Harry moved forward to walk alongside her, taking her hand in his own. They moved through the chamber in silence, until finally reaching their destination.

It took every ounce of willpower for Hermione not to gag. In the center of the fabled chamber of secrets, there was a thick wooden post. Crucified and hanging there limply, was Peter Pettigrew. The traitorous marauder's wrists were bound high above his head with thick rope. The only thing keeping his abused wrists from bearing his entire weight, was a small ledge that was just large enough for him to stand on the toes of one foot.

What really tested her ability to not react, was that Pettigrew was missing strips of flesh all over his body. His bleeding, softly weeping form was covered only by a filthy loin cloth. Below the broken man writhed, what looked to be, hundreds of snakes. A single snake broke away from the mass, and made its way over to Harry, hissing as it reared up.

Harry hissed back at the snake, and turned to Hermione with a smile. "The've found plenty of food down here. Apparently there's an enchantment that draws mundane rodents to this chamber. I guess that's why there's never been a mouse problem in the castle, they're all drawn to here."

Hermione had been desperately trying to figure out the best way to get Harry to take the potions in her pockets, but something told her to simply offer them, without explanation.

Harry looked at the two flasks that Hermione had in her outstretched hands. "What are these for?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow instead of replying.

"A surprise huh? Fair enough." Harry said as he took the flasks, and unstoppered them. "I'm looking forward to what you have in mind for Peter today. I'm sure he is too." Harry smirked before downing the potions."

"Now close your eyes, I want to try something." Hermione ordered as she gripped the luck potion in her pocket, surprising herself with the forcefulness in her voice.

Harry laughed. "Really? Well, who am I to say no? Be gentle now." Harry joked as he licked his lips and closed his eyes, his mouth slightly open in anticipation of what his girlfriend had in store for him.

Hermione quickly poured the rest of the liquid luck into Harry's mouth, and whispered, "It's up to you now Harry, I believe in you."

Harry's eyes flashed open, and he narrowed them as he stared at Hermione. Before she could step away, he had gripped her arms tightly, pinning them to her body. His grip was like iron, and Hermione couldn't stop herself from whimpering.

"Harry, you're hurting me." She pleaded.

Harry's expression turned furious, and he hissed loudly, ordering the snakes to clear a path to the post. Then he roughly shoved Hermione toward the back of the post that held Pettigrew. Forcing her hands into the air, he held both arms tightly with one hand while he drew his dagger with the other. He then pushed her against the back of the post, and drove his dagger through her palms, pinning her hands firmly to the rough wood.

"Who are you, and where is Wednesday?" Harry demanded as he held Hermione's face tightly with one hand, lifting it so that he could look her in her eyes.

Tears flowing freely, Hermione pleaded with Harry through the pain. "Please! You can break free, I know you can Harry. Nobody can control you, don't let them win."

Feeling the tug of the felix felicis now in his system, Harry sneered, then turned away and ordered the snakes to keep her from escaping. Nearly running, he made his way back to the chamber entrance.

-o-o-

"How did you get back up here?" Myrtle asked as she tilted her head to look at Wednesday. "I thought there was only one way in and out."

Wednesday tilted her own head to line up with Myrtle's. "I've only just arrived Myrtle. I'd ask if you were well, but I doubt ghosts can get ill."

The chamber entrance opened, and an agitated Harry stepped into the bathroom. He let out a breath once he noticed Wednesday talking with Myrtle. "Change of plans. Come on." He said simply, and disappeared back down the stairs."

Intrigued, Wednesday said goodbye to Myrtle, and followed Harry. She didn't bat an eye when the chamber sealed itself behind her.

She stepped down off of the final step, and felt Harry's arm hold her tightly as he jabbed the tip of his wand painfully into the soft underside of her chin.

"Give me a reason not to use the cruciatus on you." He punctuated his statement by pushing his wand deeper into her flesh.

Wednesday gave an involuntary shudder, and moaned softly. "If I knew that's what you had in mind, I would have worn nicer underwear. I thought we were playing with Peter today, but if you want to torture me instead, I won't complain."

Harry let her go, and tucked his wand back into his robes. "Sorry to get you excited, but I just had to make sure it was you. Someone polyjuiced themselves to look like you, and tried to 'free' me."

"Peter can wait." Harry said with a frown. "I want to kill whoever is wearing your face."

-o-o-

Hermione never heard Harry and Wednesday approach. She was too absorbed in her own misery, lamenting her failure, and trying to understand how the felix felicis led her into this situation.

"So that's what I would look like if I cried." Wednesday said clinically. "I think I'll pass. Tears don't suit me at all."

Harry lifted Hermione's chin with the tip of his wand. "Who are you? Did Dumbledore send you?"

Hermione sniffed, and blinked away the worst of her tears. "It's me Harry, It's Hermione, your best friend. Why won't you fight them? I gave you the tools you need to free yourself, you can do it, they can't control you if you don't let them."

"What were those potions you gave me?" Harry snarled, growing more furious.

"A w-wit sharpening potion to clear your mind, and a will strengthening solution to help you throw off their control." Hermione fearfully explained. "A-and half of my felix felicis to give you the best possible chance to succeed."

"I don't know why it's not working!" Hermoine wailed. "I couldn't find anything that they could be controlling you with that you shouldn't be able to throw off with your own will!"

Harry gripped Hermione's hair tightly, holding her head upright as he put his wand away. "I told you before. I... am... not... being... controlled." He said coldly as he balled up his fist and prepared to cave her face in.

Wednesday held Harry's wrist, preventing him from punching Hermione. "Let me ask her something first."

Reluctantly, Harry backed away to let Wednesday confront Hermione.

"You took the felix felicis, thinking it would help you take Harry back, didn't you." Wednesday asked calmly.

Hermione nodded as she choked back another sob.

Wednesday shook her head in mild amusement. "And you were best friends with him back when he was under Dumbledore's control, weren't you?"

"She was, and I gave her a chance to become friends with me again." Harry said coldly. "She burned that bridge, not me."

Wednesday gently lifted Hermione's head back up. "You see, your problem was that your goal was literally impossible. It doesn't matter how lucky you are, you can't free Harry, because he really isn't being controlled." She jammed her own dagger into the post just above Hermoine's head, and tied the girls hair to it, forcing her head to remain upright. "There's no sense wasting that potion though, let's see just how lucky it makes you."

"What do you have in mind Wednesday?" Harry asked, slightly calmer, but still fuming.

"She so badly wants you to be her friend again, let's give her that opportunity." She explained as she pulled her razor out of her robes, flicked it open, and drew the blade across her wrist.

Curiosity replaced anger as Harry moved forward to watch. Wednesday set her bleeding wrist against Hermione's mouth, and used her other hand to force the girl to drink. "There is very little chance that you'll survive the magic in my blood, and I'm curious if that little potion will work to keep you alive. If not, I've been wondering just how someone would die from Addams blood. I hope it's suitably gruesome."

Hermione coughed and thrashed wildly, but Wednesday held her firmly. Eventually, she was forced to drink a full mouthful before Wednesday let her go. She tried to spit out the blood, but only succeeded in coating her chin with her red tinted saliva.

"You're insane, absolutely insane. I can't even b..." Hermione's words were cut off as they caught in her throat, and her eyes widened in fear.

Harry's would-be rescuer started to convulse. Her whole body began shaking, and her eyes rolled back into her head. Hermione tried desperately to scream, but the only sound that emerged was gurgling and coughing. Hermione's hands strained against the dagger restraining them, which only served to exacerbate the wound, and blood ran down her arms as she thrashed wildly.

Finally Hermione stilled, and she hung limp by her hair and pinned hands. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused, and her jaw was slack. A trail of drool ran from the corner of her mouth, cleaning a trail across her blood stained chin.

"That was... disappointing." Wednesday lamented. "I was hoping for something more... visceral."

Harry stepped forward, and leaned in to look into Hermione's lifeless eyes, which slowly began to shift back to their usual chocolate brown. Her whole body slowly reformed itself, and soon Hermione looked like herself again, albeit less alive.

-o-o-

Gomez strolled through the lobby of Gringotts, his lovely wife glided along beside him with an almost unearthly elegance. Much to the annoyance of the several witches and wizards who waited in line, a young goblin ran forward to greet them, and led them away from the main lobby.

"Now just what is the meaning of this?" An elderly wizard waiting behind three other people demanded. "I've been told time and again that my name and wealth meant nothing, and I would have to wait in line like everyone else. How is it that they get prompt attention and respect? By Merlin's beard, they're even dressed like muggles. This is an outrage!"

Around the lobby, various people voiced their agreement with the angered wizard.

The head teller frowned, and motioned to one of the guards who slammed the but of his axe on the ground to draw everyone's attention.

"If you desire the same respect shown to the two humans who just passed through, you must earn it the same way they have. We don't care how important you are among your own kind." The teller sneered as he looked down at the frustrated humans. "You're all equally worthless in our eyes."

Ted Tonks, who was having some galleons converted to British pounds, politely questioned the teller who was clearly amused at the display. "How does one earn your respect? I think I've been polite, and I've tried to treat goblins with the same respect I show wizards."

"And that is precisely why you don't have our respect." The teller's amused grin faded to be replaced with disgust. "Take your muggle money and get out."

-o-o-

Gomez and Morticia were led to Grabnach's office, where the account manager stood to greet them. Gomez offered his hand to his wife, who used it to lower herself gracefully into one of the chairs. Before Gomez sat down as well, the name plaque on the desk caught his eye.

"Sharpclaw?" Gomez read aloud the inscription on the plaque as he picked it up. "I can't say it's not a fitting name old man, but why the change?

"We have crossed blades Mister Addams." Grabnach, now Sharpclaw, explained. "Not only did I survive the experience, but I spilled your blood as well. Because of this, I have been honored with a new name."

"You did fine work Sharpclaw. Gomez was nearly disemboweled, and his wound developed an infection that had him delirious for nearly two days." Morticia smiled gently. "Please, I insist you call us by our given names. There's no need for such formality when you've come so close to killing my husband. Why, you're practically family now."

Sharpclaw gulped imperceptibly. Thanks to the Addams account, he'd gained respect, honor, and station at a nearly unprecedented pace. He just hoped that he'd live long enough to take advantage of the power he was gaining.

"You honor me." The goblin said with a nod. "I've asked that you come here today for a slightly different reason. Gomez, Mister Black informed me that while he was attending Hogwarts, you were to be given the authority to make decisions regarding his account. Something has come to light which directly affects the Black estate, but considering the circumstances, involves your family as well."

Sharpclaw sat down, and opened one of the drawers in his desk. "We have recently learned that your current residence had its wards breached, and a group of wizards forcibly entered with the intent to spirit away Mister Black."

"Yes, we remember. That was a particularly entertaining afternoon, though Puglsey was upset that he missed the fun. I also believe that Dementia was quite annoyed at having her time with Fester interrupted." Morticia recounted, smiling fondly at the memory.

"Yes... Well, we have learned that one of our cursebreakers gave information that allowed the breach to occur. His employment will of course be terminated, and punishments enacted as per the standard contract we have with our human employees." Sharpclaw set a file in front of the couple, with a picture of Bill Weasley giving a half-smile, and occasionally running his hand through his hair. "I felt you would be interested to know who was responsible for the ease of the break in. Department head Ragnok would also like me to assure you that without this human's knowledge, your wards would have not fallen so easily. For a reasonable price he is willing to completely redo the defenses on the Black family home to make up for this unfortunate event."

Gomez picked up the file, and flipped through it casually. "I don't believe that will be necessary. We had a grand time, and hope they stop by again some time."

"What are the standard punishments?" Morticia asked with interest.

If asked to describe the grin that Sharpclaw gave in response, Gomez or Morticia may have used the word 'warm' or perhaps 'playful.' Your average wizard on the other hand, would likely have needed to change their robes after being subjected to it.

"The contract we hold with our human employees is something of a joke among our people." Sharpclaw said with mirth. "Normally we confiscate all assets, and then fine them an exorbitant amount; however, the wording of the contract allows so much more. There is almost no punishment we cannot enforce, so long as we do not overstep the bounds of the treaty we have with the Ministry of Magic. Out of curiosity, what punishment would you suggest?"

"Punishment?" Gomez looked thoughtful. "It's the bank he's betrayed, so it really is up to you. From our point of view... I'm not sure there's much worth punishing. Although... is this address up to date?"

"Until Ragnok fires him, at which point he will become homeless." The goblin nodded.

"Gomez, are you suggesting we pay him a visit ourselves?" Morticia asked with an amused smile.

"Why not? We could thank him in person that way." Gomez asserted.

The corner of Sharpclaw's mouth twitched upward. "You would thank the wizard responsible for an attack on your family?"

Sharpclaw felt it was a shame that he couldn't hide what his bet was for the Addams/Black response to Cursebreaker Weasley's actions. He would have made substantially more money if so many hadn't placed their bets alongside his own. Still, many others had felt they would be after the wizard's blood, so Sharpclaw still had a tidy sum coming his way.

"For the thought anyway." Morticia answered. "It wasn't a very good job. Perhaps they'd like to try again sometime soon? Pugley would adore the chance to play."

-o-o-

Hermione's life flashed before her eyes. She was smart, almost always smarter than those in her age group. Unfortunately, despite her intelligence, she had very little in the way of social skills. Since her parents and teachers would always praise her for her knowledge, she would try to use what she knew to impress those around her. It never worked. She always came across as a know-it-all or overbearingly bossy.

For most of her childhood Hermione was lonely, the very thing she was most proud of served to alienate her from the other children. Instead of trying to change her approach, she turned in on herself, and found companionship with her books.

Discovering that she was a witch was the happiest moment of her life. She figured that this must be why she couldn't make friends, and once she met other witches and wizards, she wouldn't be lonely anymore. That illusion started to fade on the train ride to Hogwarts.

Eventually Hermione realized that it didn't matter whether they were magic or not, other kids didn't like her. One fateful day when she was twelve, everything changed for her. After spending hours in the loo crying her eyes out over her inability to get anyone to like her, a mountain troll of all things nearly killed her.

Like a hero from one of her books, Harry Potter appeared from nowhere, and bravely fought the troll to protect her. Then Ron Weasley, the very boy that had said the cruel words that had her crying all day, managed to get lucky and knock out the creature with its own club.

Those two boys risked their lives for her, and just like that something changed inside of her. She was still the same bossy know-it-all that irritated others, but with those two she tried her hardest to be a good friend. She finally had friends, and she vowed she would do anything to keep them.

Their friendship grew and changed, as did the three children, but Hermione tried to keep true to her vow, working to not let her friends slip away. Then the unthinkable happened, and Harry Potter was torn away from her. In desperation, she clung tighter to the friendship with Ron Weasley as she wracked her brain trying to get her best friend back.

Viewing her life from the outside as she felt herself dying gave her an objectivity that she'd sorely lacked. Taking everything into account, she was an idiot. An intellectual genius perhaps, but an idiot all the same. The blind devotion she placed in authority figures, and her books was outright stupid. That blindness also extended to her so called friends.

Harry was her friend. She couldn't argue that, but looking back at everything, she noticed that he was always... a little off. As if he was constantly adjusting a mask that he didn't even know he was wearing. Ron on the other hand really hadn't been her friend, at least not the kind of friend she had always thought he was.

If only she had another chance, she thought as she felt her heartbeat slow to a crawl, and stop.

As if struck by lightning, Hermione felt magic course through her veins. Her heart started beating again, and picked up speed until she felt it pounding like a jackhammer. She felt more alive than she ever had before as the darkness receded from her vision. Every sense she had felt so sharp and clear.

Her vision sharpened, and she swore that could see the intricate details carved into the stonework of the chamber. Torchlight flickered and danced, causing her eyes to dart back and forth as they followed every movement.

She felt the roughness of the wooden pillar behind her, and every hair follicle as her hair supported the weight of her head; however, the dagger wound in her hands demanded almost all of her attention. The pain was so intense. Every little motion sent a sharp signal that began to stop registering as unpleasant. She wouldn't say the agony felt good, but given enough time, she felt that might change.

A cacophony of odors assaulted her nose. From the stagnant water all around to the fear of Pettigrew on the other side of the post, every scent was so strong. The part of her that loved random minutia wondered if this was how pregnancy affected the ability to smell.

A single flavor dominated her sense of taste. Wednesday's blood still lingered in her mouth, and it tasted like freedom. She didn't know why or how, but Hermione knew that the pale girl that she had hated so much, had given her a gift like no other.

Over the whimpering of the rat animagus behind her, Hermione could hear Wednesday and Harry discussing what they would do to the crucified man next. Harry's voice echoed in her mind, crystal clear, and she focused on him.

The sharpness of her senses began to fade, but she concentrated on Harry's voice as if it were her lifeline.

Why did she stop being his friend?

So what if Harry had changed, she wasn't losing him. This version had freely offered his friendship, and all she needed to do was accept him for who he was. Try as she might, she couldn't quite place why she couldn't do that before.

-o-o-

"There is something I've always wanted to try with a bottle opener." Wednesday suggested. "We haven't touched his teeth yet."

"But do you have a bot..." Harry turned to look at the post. Pettigrew was motionless, save for a slight tremble. He moved a few steps over to bring Hermione into view. "Huh, will you look at that."

Wednesday joined Harry as they circled back around to find Hermione tugging ineffectively at the weapon that secured her to the post. She had no leverage, so all she succeeded in doing was widening the holes in her hands further.

"Apparently that liquid luck works pretty well." Harry pointed out as he walked up to look into Hermione's no longer lifeless eyes.

"Harry, can you please let me down?" Hermione asked calmly. "I think I can fix my hands as they are, but if I do too much more damage I'll have to see Madam Pomfrey. I don't really feel like making up a reason for my hands to be quite so torn up."

"Looks like you two get your friendship back after all." Wednesday commented as she pulled a bottle opener from her pocket, and turned to eye Pettigrew critically.

-o-o-

Author's note: A reader pointed out that, considering the occasional subject matter of my story, some people might become interested in trying bondage or pain play of some sort. Considering there are literally thousands who read this story, I find this a distinct possibility. There is a right, and a wrong way to do things, so please do some research if you do decide to try it. evilmonk org/A/ (add a period where appropriate) appears to be a decent resource for those who may be interested. My story (obviously) does not portray anything remotely like a healthy relationship, so for the love of (insert deity here) don't try anything Harry and Wednesday do.

On a related note, ShayaLonnie is writing an excellent story called 'Safe Word is Devil's Snare' if you're interested in reading a fine example of a healthy BSDM relationship. It has an actual plot too, so all in all it's a good read, and I highly recommend it.

To Guest reviewing chapter 15: I've already stated my thoughts on the nature of good and evil, but if you get an account and PM me, I'll be happy to debate our differences of opinion. Reviews and responses aren't really the place for such a discussion.

To Jiggly Joe reviewing chapter 7: Of course it's absurd. How can it be the Addams Family, and not be absurd on some level?

Manipulative Dumbledore is a tried and true concept. I like to think that I've put my own spin on it though. :)

Draco really isn't handling things too well, he's scared and upset with the whole scenario. He's going along with things, but he really hasn't been given much choice.

Narcissa has very little canon character development. The only thing we really know for sure is that she will do anything, including betray Voldemort without hesitation for her son. With that in mind, I can really write her any way that fits the story.

To Jiggly Joe reviewing chapter 11: Delightfully insane is a nice way to put it, I like that.

To Jiggly Joe reviewing chapter 13: It's a basic rule of being an evil overlord: NEVER leave a survivor to grow up, gain power, and take revenge for a slaughtered family.

I don't know, nor do I want to know, how much force it would take to render someone sterile. I *think* that Selwyn can still have children, but if he makes any further moves against Luna or the others, that could change.

Cormac does not know when to back down, so his future doesn't really look too bright does it?

To Jiggly Joe reviewing chapter 14: According to JKR, if most dark wizards attempt to cast a patronus, maggots will come out instead, and devour the dark wizard. … … Why, just why?

To Jiggly Joe reviewing chapter 15: As you have read this chapter, the felix felicis managed to keep Hermione alive. Without the luck potion, I doubt she'd have survived Harry's initial ire. That boy still has a bit of a temper.

To Guest reviewing chapter 15: As you have read, Hermione and Ron didn't really have any chance of getting their Harry back.

The whole ropes lesson scene was rather sitcom-like, but I couldn't help myself. I'm glad it seems to have gone over well.

To reviewing chapter 15: I have an ever-growing list of suggestions for Harry's patronus, but I really haven't put any thought into it myself. When it becomes relevant I'll decide, but until then I'm not really thinking about it.

To Gizmo reviewing chapter 15: No madness needed, those two are dating. :)

To Spuffylover19 reviewing chapter 15: Thanks! I hope this chapter was worth the wait too. :)


	17. Extracurricular activities

WARNING: There's a bonus scene at the end with -gasp- hanky panky. Skip it, skip to it, whatever you want to do is fine by me.

Author's note: Well, that was a longer than usual time between updates. Hopefully real life will settle down a bit, and I can go back to more frequent updates, but for now I can't say when that will happen.

Seventy nine reviews for that last chapter. You guys are fantastic. I wish that I could have gotten this chapter out there faster for you, but such is life. I love reading your thoughts, so let me know what you think of this one. :)

-o-o-

Chapter 17

Extracurricular activities

-o-o-

'Shit, shit shit shit shit shit!' Ron swore in his thoughts as he tore through the castle. Approaching a corner, he headed toward the seventh floor as fast as he could.

There were only two places Ron knew of that didn't show up on the Marauder's Map, and the room of requirement was one of them. He had tried for the Chamber of Secrets first, but that hadn't worked out. Not only was he unable to hiss the right password, but Moaning bloody Myrtle had gone completely mad. The barmy ghost was sobbing and wailing ear-piercingly loud, and she had stopped up all of the bloody toilets too. He'd left the flooded bathroom in a hurry, deciding that with Myrtle in such a mood, nobody could make it to the chamber in the first place.

Rounding the corner at top speed, he nearly bowled over someone coming from the other direction.

"Mister Weasley!" Professor McGonagall nearly shrieked in outrage. "Just what do you think you're doing running through the halls like a first year on a cheering charm? As a sixth year you should know better, and as a prefect doubly so."

Skidding to a halt, Ron cursed himself for not using the map to make sure his path was clear. "Professor, I... I think Hermione is in danger."

She fixed him with a flat stare. "In danger? Is this another one of your fool adventures? Can we not go one year without you three taking it upon yourselves to solve some mystery? You are not the hero of some children's book Mister Weasley."

Ron's cheeks tinged red out of embarrassment, but he choked back the angry reply that would no doubt delay him even more. "Something happened to Harry over the summer..."

"I am well aware of the changes in Mister Black's home life, and the resulting shift in his demeanor." McGonagall interrupted. "Believe it or not, as head of Gryffindor, I do try to keep track of my students. Professor Dumbledore has voiced some concern as well, so I cannot fault you for worrying; however, I have not seen anything but positive changes in the former Mister Potter. I am quite saddened that he's abandoned his family, but I fail to see how this has anything to do with Miss Granger being in peril."

"Trust me professor, Harry might be doing good in class, but he's definitely gone dark. We think it's that Addams girl's fault." Ron tried to quickly explain as he grew more worried about his friend. "Me an' Hermione are trying to get Harry back to how he's supposed to be, but I think something went wrong."

McGonagall closed her eyes, and rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "Remember what I said about this not being a children's book Mister Weasley. Next time any of you think something is wrong, come to me first. I am more that certain that she is just fine." ... Do you have anything you would like to add Miss Granger?"

Ron whipped his head around to see Hermione walking toward them with a tiny smirk on her face. She was carrying a large tome, pinning it against her chest with her crossed arms.

"Honestly Ronald, you and Harry have been jumping to conclusions since our first year." Taking care to keep her hands hiden from view, Hermione faced Professor McGonagall. "I'm sorry professor. We did think that Harry was under some kind of control spell. We should have come to you, but it doesn't matter anyway. We were wrong, and I've already apologized to Harry."

"See that you exercise more control over your friends' impetuous nature Miss Granger." The transfiguration professor then shook her head in disappointment. "Mister Weasley, ten points from Gryffindor for running in the halls, and generally acting in a manner inappropriate for a prefect. That badge you wear comes with responsibility, and I will not hesitate to take it from you if I feel you aren't taking your position seriously."

The two sixth years watched their head of house walk away, and Ron turned to Hermione. "That was bloody brilliant. You've gotten loads better at hiding the truth. If I didn't know better, I'd never know you were lying. How did it go, do we have Harry back?"

"I wasn't lying Ronald." She said coldly, but then smiled. "It couldn't have gone any better. Harry and I have made up, and we're going to meet in the common room tonight to catch up. He is a bit upset with me right now, and I need to be careful to never betray his trust again, but I'm sure we'll be best friends again soon enough. For now though, I need the room of requirement."

After recoiling slightly at Hermione's initially frigid response, Ron hurried to catch up with the bushy-haired witch who was already swiftly walking away.

-o-o-

Ron waited impatiently as Hermione paced along the blank stretch of wall on the seventh floor. As soon as the door appeared, she disappeared through it. Ron quickly followed, closing the door behind him.

The room was fairly small and spartan. In the center there was a stand that Hermione had set her book upon, and two padded wood chairs that faced each other were off to the side. Ron walked over to stand next to his friend as she flipped through the book searching for something.

"Ah, there it is... Well no wonder it didn't work, It's a swirl not a twist." Hermione said to herself. "Go ahead and sit down Ronald, this shouldn't take long."

Confused, Ron sat in one of the chairs and watched as Hermione held out one of her hands. In the center of her palm was a twisted scar that was cracked and oozing. Before he could ask what had happened, she traced a circle around the scar with her wand while casting a surgical cutting charm. His eyes grew as wide as saucers, and his jaw dropped as she casually cut a large hole in her hand. Seeing the bones of her hand exposed was too much for Ron. He doubled over, and lost his lunch.

Wiping his mouth, Ron risked a glance upward to see Hermoine cast another spell at her bleeding hand. This time, the flesh around the wound spiraled inward, and closed the gaping hole in her palm. She was left with a healed hand, albeit one with a swirled pattern in its center.

Pleased with the result, Hermione switched her wand over to her newly healed hand, and repeated the procedure with her other hand. This resulted in Ron continuing to empty the contents of his stomach.

"There, that's much better." She said as if she had merely tied up her hair, or done something else suitably mundane. She then began skimming through the book again. "Now to do something about the scars."

Once he finished retching, Ron pulled himself together, and stood up. "W-what did they do to you? Merlin Hermione! It backfired didn't it? They've got you now too!"

Shaking her head as she sighed, Hermione stopped reading, and looked at the redheaded wizard. "Honestly Ronald, you make it sound like a cult. They haven't 'got me,' they just opened my eyes a bit. You could stand to be more open minded yourself."

"More open minded? Hermione, you just cut giant holes in your own hands like it was nothing!" Ron shouted, and stepped forward to grab her elbow. "There is something wrong with you. C'mon let's go see my mum. She knows how to contact Dumbledore, and he'll know what to do."

He paled as she pulled free of his grip. Her face was stony, and her eyes bored into him. "Ronald Bilius Weasley! There is nothing wrong with me, and there is nothing wrong with Harry either. It's no wonder he stopped being friends with us. Well, I've given my apologies, and Harry and I have made up. If you want Harry to be your friend again, you'd best do the same." 

"Hermione please, I can't lose you too." He grabbed her again, and spun her so that she was facing him squarely. Putting a hand on both of her shoulders, he pleaded with her. "We don't have to see Dumbledore, let's just go see Pomfrey. If she can't find anything wrong with you, then I'll drop it okay?"

"Madam Pomfrey." Hermione corrected with a flat stare as she crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze. "And if you're so concerned about losing me as a friend, then maybe you should listen when I say that I'm perfectly fine. Take your hands off me Ronald, or I'll cut them off of you."

Realizing that she meant what she said, Ron pulled his hands back as if they had been burned. More than a little afraid, Ron stepped backward nervously. Slipping in the puddle of his own vomit, he fell back into the chair he had been sitting in, and cracked his head on the wooden chairback.

The pain blossoming in his skull took Ron's attention away from his fear, and his emotions settled into the familiar realm of bitterness and anger. Rubbing the back of his head, he stared up at Hermione accusingly. "So that's it? After all we've been through you're abandoning me now too. Merlin Hermione, I thought this year we were going to... well... you know."

"Know what?" Hermione asked, looking confused. "The only thing we've been talking about since halfway through the summer was Harry. We wanted him as out friend again, and I've done that. It's not my fault you won't do the same."

"Oh sure, we wanted Harry back, but we've been getting closer too. Are you trying to tell me that all those times you cuddled up to me meant nothing?" Ron asked, feeling betrayed.

Hermione looked shocked. "Cuddling? You thought... that you and I?" Peals of laughter filled the room as Hermione braced herself on the bookstand. Wiping away a tear, she looked at his expression and snorted. "You're serious..." She commented, then continued laughing.

Flushing red with anger, Ron pushed himself up and stormed over to the door. As he reached for the knob, it flattened itself against the door, preventing him from exiting.

"Come on Ronald." Hermione's laughter faded, but a smirk remained fixed on her face as she carefully took off her prefect badge. "Did you honestly think that I'm stupid enough to just let you walk away? I need assurance that you aren't going to do something stupid."

-o-o-

Mundungus Fletcher had come through for the Order by suggesting and procuring a muggle dwelling. The petty crook often dealt with muggles, as his magic gave him a rather severe advantage when it came to staying out of trouble in the muggle underworld.

The sounds of celebration filled the rundown flat that now served as the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore sat alone in the small bedroom that he used as his office, unable to truly enjoy the revelry.

After the raid on the Burrow, Dumbledore realized that he needed to better protect their headquarters even if the location wasn't meant to be permanent, so the muggle apartment was protected by the fidelus. Truth be told, after having that particular charm backlash once, he was reluctant to cast it again. Unfortunately, the cost of his cowardice was paid for by the Weasleys. Their suffering was unacceptable, and he swore that he would make it up to them somehow.

The day that the Weasleys suffered so, Dumbledore had received a package containing Snape's severed hands, his broken wand, and a taunting message. Foolishly, he had set off in an ill-advised attempt to find Severus. When he was following what he thought were unintentional clues to his spy's whereabouts, the Burrow was razed.

The ever present twinkle in his eyes was gone, and Dumbledore no longer smiled. Ever since Harry met up with that Addams family, nothing had gone right. Things were turning out darker than the first time Voldemort made a bid for power, and for once he wasn't sure that he could lead the light to victory.

The only shining ray of hope was that so far, with the exception of Sirius, no one in the Order had been killed yet. Although, they were far from unscathed. Hestia had lost her arm in a skirmish that put Emmeline in Saint Mungo's, but she was dealing with her loss well, and Emmeline was due to be released in a week. No one could say if Arthur would ever recover though, and that weighed heavily on Dumbledore's heart.

A loud knock preceded Moody calling out his intentions before the door opened. "It's me Albus, we need to talk."

The one time auror limped in on his new prosthetic that he hadn't quite gotten used to yet, and the eye patch he wore was yet another reminder of the dangerous times.

"Not enjoying the festivities Alastor?" Dumbledore asked, hoping that this talk was of a frivolous nature.

Moody scoffed. "We capture one Death Eater, and they act like we're winning the war. No Albus, I'm not 'enjoying the festivities.' It may be true that Lestrange is one of the worst, but I still think we should be putting them in the ground where they belong. Letting a death eater live is idiotic now that Azkaban isn't secure."

"That would make us no better than they are. If we win by giving into the dark, then we will still have lost." Dumbledore argued the point that was increasingly a matter of contention between him and his old friend.

Holding up his hand, Moody shook his head. "We've got more pressing concerns than this old argument. Albus, I'm sorry, but Snape is dead. The bastards sent his body to the ministry department heads."

Frowning as he closed his eyes tightly, Dumbledore sighed in frustration. "Which head, and are they certain it's Severus?"

"Heads, plural, and I mean all of them." Moody clarified in a steady voice. "Each one opened up a package this morning with a different body part inside. Scrimgeour got Snape's head, and he's damn sure it is him. After all, he was one of the aurors calling for Snape's arrest despite your vouching for him back then."

-o-o-

"I haven't seen Ron, what did he do when your little plan didn't work out." Harry asked Hermione as they settled in to a pair of worn chairs in the Gryffindor common room. It was getting fairly late, and with the exception of a group of fourth year girls giggling in the far corner, the room was empty.

Hermione disagreed as she stretched, settling into the chair. "Our plan worked just fine. Ronald might not have been too pleased, but I like how things turned out. He threw one of his little temper tantrums, but I did my best to get him to listen to reason."

Harry noticed that his friends hands were completely unblemished. Personally, he would have left the scars, but to each their own. "Did he? Listen to reason that is."

"No, you know how hard-headed he can be. I told him that all he had to do was apologize to you, and give up on the whole 'fix Harry' thing." She explained while shaking her head. "I left him with quite a bit to think about though, and I'm confident that he won't cause any more problems."

Taking her words at face value, he shifted the conversation. "McGonagall didn't look too happy earlier, what did you say to her anyway?"

"I turned in my prefect badge." She said with a shrug. "A prefect really can't be breaking the rules as much as I have."

Harry held up a finger as he opened his mouth to say something, closed it, opened it once more, then let out a confused sigh. "But isn't it easier to break the rules when you're a prefect? Some of those benefits really came in handy last year."

"A prefect has to be held to a higher standard than everyone else." She replied firmly. "I simply can't wear that badge when I know I won't be meeting those standards."

"Why do you care? I thought you were more... free spirited now." He pointed out.

"Exactly." Hermione nodded her agreement. "Which is why I can't be a prefect. Rules are important Harry. As a regular student, it's expected that I'll try to break more than a few."

"So... you'll..." Harry tried to figure out Hermione's thought process, but couldn't quite understand her reasoning. "Okay, run this by me one more time. You're no longer bothered at all that I've cheerfully murdered a man, but you can't bring yourself to break rules as a prefect. Only, you're fine breaking rules when you aren't a prefect. What am I missing here?"

"It comes down to morals Harry." She explained in a tone he knew all too well. "My parents always told me that rules were important and must be followed, but a person should be obligated to break the rules if their morals demand it. I'll admit, I haven't been very consistent over the years, but with this fresh start I plan to be."

Curious, Harry urged her to continue. "Okay then, your morals tell you to break rules. Why does being a prefect or not enter into it?"

Hermione stared off into the distance. "I don't think I really have morals anymore. I've thought about it, and there's not a single thing I can think of that I feel is wrong. If morals are supposed to trump rules, then I need something to follow."

She looked back at Harry. "After thinking about it a little, it was obvious. I'll just borrow the morals of everyone else. If I'm a prefect, then I should act like a prefect, which means enforcing the rules, and setting a good example. If I do that, then I'll have to try and punish you and Wednesday. We both know how that would end, and I really don't want to die just yet. There's still so much to learn."

"I'll take your word for it, the morals thing that is. You're absolutely right about the getting yourself killed thing." Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "Without your badge, you don't have a problem with the rules I break?"

"Of course not." She agreed at once. "You're a dark wizard. You're supposed to break the rules."

-o-o-

Tryouts for the Gryffindor Quidditch team started out more frustrating than Harry had anticipated. Not only were there a ridiculous number of hopefuls, but there were many who had no interest in making the team.

After sending away people from other houses, and those who couldn't even mount their broom properly, Harry had all of the chaser hopefuls circle the pitch at top speed. Soon, half a dozen fliers set themselves apart from the others by neatly avoiding collisions, and speeding ahead of the pack. Harry then had the remaining six possible chasers pass a few quaffles amongst themselves while a pair of bludgers were let loose.

Katie Bell easily made the team again, having the best skills all around. Harry wasn't the least bit surprised, and had her join him in picking out the rest of the team. While not official, Harry had managed to convince her to essentially be his co-captain.

Ginny Weasley had little difficulty as well, being nearly as talented as the seventh year veteran. Harry was pleased to note that the redheaded girl was able to set aside her fear/dislike of him for her love of the game. As much as he felt that she could be a problem, Ginny really was talented on a broom.

The third chaser chosen was a fourth year by the name of Demelza Robins. While about even with the other three hopefuls in terms of flying and handling a quaffle, she managed to impress Harry by dodging a bludger that he was sure that she couldn't have seen coming.

Harry was willing to defend his position, but there wasn't anyone willing to take him on for the seeker position. Deciding that it just meant tryouts would be finished that much sooner, Harry moved right on to the beaters.

Wanting to have a little fun, Harry had a bludger released for every beater trying out. After a couple hopefuls were knocked off their brooms, Harry flew right into the mess of bats and bludgers. With a wide grin, Harry called out that the first two who managed to hit him were going to make the team. After a few moments hesitation, the beater hopefuls started knocking bludger after bludger at Harry who was laughing as he easily dodged the iron balls.

Ritchie Coote was the first to score a hit, cementing his place on the team. The boy lacked the traditional beater build, but had incredible aim. Coote had taken the time to line up and time his shot perfectly, so that when Harry dodged a pair of other bludgers, he was forced to take a hit.

Jimmy Peakes not only took the second beater position, but nearly managed to knock Harry off of his broom. With his ears ringing, and a trail of blood running down his face, Harry smiled brightly as he announced the new beaters.

"Okay seriously, I knew you were crazy, but you do realize you just got creamed by a bludger right?" Katie looked at her longtime teammate, slightly worried at how happy he looked.

"That means we have a pair of decent beaters this year." Harry pointed out as he wiped the blood off of his face. "Neither one of those were lucky shots."

"Anyway, now all we need is to find our keeper." He smiled as he tossed a quaffle into her hands. "Your turn to play."

Katie led Ginny and Demelza into the air where they waited for the first keeper to get into position. Harry had Coote and Peakes ready to retrieve quaffles, and bring them back to the girls as quickly as they could.

Cormac McLaggen was the clear victor. He managed to save all six shots, while the best anyone else had managed was three.

"I see that your friend realized he didn't stand a chance." Cormac boasted as he hopped off his broom. "A shame really, I was hoping to show him up in person. Not much of a Gryffindor if he's too afraid to even try."

"Hmm, where is Ron anyway?" Harry wondered aloud. "Eh well, doesn't matter too much I suppose."

"So I have a few ideas for the team." Cormac said as he winked at Katie who was just touching down next to Harry. "What we need..."

"Is for you to make saves like those against other teams, and nothing else. Harry's the captain, not you." Katie snapped at McLaggen, and then turned to Harry. "Please tell me we don't have to rely on I'm-better-than-everyone-McLaggen. Ron's just late right?"

"I have no idea, but I do know he has a problem with me this year. Maybe he wants to stay away from me more than he wants to be keeper." Harry shrugged, and pointed his thumb at the other seventh year. "It almost sounds like you have a history with our new keeper."

Staring into McLaggen's eye's, Katie spoke to Harry. "He's got a reputation." With that, she spun on her heel and headed toward the locker room, her windblown ponytail barely missed Cormac's face as it whipped around.

Cormac scoffed as he put an arm around Harry's shoulders. "She's just jealous because I've never asked her out. Now about..."

Remembering his lessons with Wednesday, back at the Leaky cauldron, Harry ducked under and grabbed the older boy's arm. Pulling the arm back as he snagged Cormac's hair with his free hand, Harry shoved the keeper into the grass face first.

"Frankly, I don't really care who you are, or what you do for the most part." Harry said calmly, then leaned in to whisper into his ear. "But don't touch me, and if I find out you tried to touch Wednesday again, I'll rip your arms off."

Harry twisted the arm further to punctuate his threat, which evoked a grunt of pain from McLaggen. "That is of course if she hasn't already killed you herself."

Harry let go of his hold on the larger boy, and as McLaggen started to rise, he slapped him on the back forcefully, which drove him back into the ground. "Welcome to the team Cormac."

Spitting out a mouthful of grass, Cormac looked up to see Harry grinning down at him cheerfully.

-o-o-

Lunchtime on Monday, Luna chose to sit at the Gryffindor table again. Hermione had begun to join Harry and Wednesday in their mealtime ritual of eating at whichever table the serene Ravenclaw's fancy took her.

"Miss Granger, Professor Longbottom has informed me that Mister Weasley was absent from her class this morning." McGonagall stated as she interrupted her former prefect's lunch. "Do you have any idea where he might be?"

Hermione set her fork down, and shook her head. "No professor, I haven't seen him since Friday. I was helping him learn a few healing spells that he showed interest in, and when I left, he was still working on his pronunciation."

Frowning, McGonagall looked around the table. "Does anyone know where Mister Weasley is hiding?"

Everyone within earshot shook their head, or gave a short reply in the negative.

Harry caught the professor's attention. "I'd like to know where he is myself. He never showed up to tryouts, and despite our... differences, I was expecting him to make keeper again this year. If you find him, let him know that I'm willing to give him a shot anyway. I'm not sure the keeper we have is going to work, but all of the other people who tried out could be replaced by a dummy charmed to hover between the rings."

The grim statement about the team's poor keeper situation had McGonagall pursing her lips in disappointment before she could stop herself. "I'll keep that in mind Mister P-Black."

As soon as the professor had walked far enough away, Harry looked across the table at Hermione, his eyebrow cocked questioningly. "I never knew that Ron had any interest in healing."

"When I made it perfectly clear that I wasn't going to be doing the spells for him, he seemed very interested." Hermione explained as she picked up her fork and continued eating.

Wednesday lifted her own brow. "What spell was he hoping you would do for him?"

"The flesh mending charm." Hermione said casually. "He wasn't getting the inflection right at all when I left him. It was like the levitation charm all over again."

"Then you do know where Ron is." Luna pointed out as she began to comb and braid Hermione's hair with Thing's help.

"Not really." Hermione replied as her head twitched noticeably with each snag that Luna's comb tore through. "We were in the room of requirement, and I have no idea what happens if someone dies in there. For that matter, for all I know he is alive, and has run away. I doubt it, but it is possible. I do know that the room is empty now, I checked on Saturday."

"Oh! I almost forgot." Hermione exclaimed with a start that shook Thing loose, sending the hand tumbling to the floor. She reached into her robes, and handed Harry a folded sheet of parchment. "I've been meaning to get this back to you for days. You left it at the Dursleys, Dumbledore collected your belongings, and Ron nicked it from Dumbledore."

Harry gratefully took the blank parchment. "Thanks, I forgot about this thing completely, other things on my mind and all. I haven't needed it this year, but it's good to have it back."

Wednesday looked at the parchment curiously. "And that is?"

"I'll show you later, when we're alone. It's brilliant really, and dead useful while we're at Hogwarts." Harry promised his girlfriend as he pocketed the parchment.

-o-o-

The week passed with little excitement, except for the disappearance of Ron Weasley. With the exceptions of Mrs. Weasley and Ginny Weasley, no one was as upset as Headmaster Tofty.

"How could this have happened Minerva?" Tofty asked as he read the report that the DMLE had sent him. "The patrolmen found no sign of Mister Weasley."

"At least they were discrete." McGonagall pointed out. "The last thing we need is for there to be a panic about missing children. Knowing Mister Weasley, I wouldn't be surprised to find that he has gone off on some ill advised adventure."

"I hope you're right. The entire DMLE has been sent a notice regarding his absence. They'll all be on the lookout for Mister Weasley, and they even have the trainee aurors actively searching for him as part of their tracking course." Tofty sighed as he set down the report. "With he-who-must-not-be-named running around, Mister Weasley's disappearance is downright frightening."

"Poor Molly." McGonagall shook her head sadly. "With Arthur in the hospital, and now this, she's thrown herself into her new job with abandon. She seems to be everywhere at once, catching students out of bounds left and right. I think she's hoping to find her son in one of the broom closets."

"I think we're all hoping he's doing something foolish, but safe." The headmaster noted, nodding his head in agreement.

-o-o-

The Great Hall was cleared except for a raised stage area where Harry stood front and center preparing to address the growing crowd. Professor Longbottom sat at the edge of the stage, watching with interest, and keeping a small portion of her attention on her grandson. Neville was talking with Susan Bones at the front of the mass of students, looking confident, and without a trace of nervousness.

Roughly half of the school had shown up in response to the notices Harry had written up. All seven years and all four houses were represented, though not equally. Most of Gryffindor was present, whereas there were only a few Slytherins. Both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had a solid presence, and there were even a few faculty members in the back, having shown up out of curiosity.

"Welcome to the first meeting of the Defense Club." Harry called out across the great hall. "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting so many to show up, but I'm sure we'll manage."

"Last year, my friends and I started something similar to this, because our Defense professor wasn't teaching us anything useful." Harry gestured toward Professor Longbottom with a grin. "This year that isn't a problem, so we aren't going to be going over the standard spellwork as much. Since we have a competent professor, I figured we should learn some things that aren't going to be on our tests."

Noting that he still had everyone's attention, Harry laughed inwardly, certain that this next bit would thin the crowd. He raised his hand. "Show of hands, how many of you are confident that you can defend yourself from a muggle, or a wizard without a wand?"

Nearly everyone raised their hand. Mostly only the younger students kept their hands down, but there were a few older students who smelled a trap and didn't raise theirs.

With a wide toothy grin, Harry asked for a volunteer. "For a demonstration, I want someone who feels they can best anyone who doesn't have a wand, and I'm just talking about humans, not a dark creature like a vampire or a werewolf."

Despite Draco whispering fervently at him to drop his hand and not walk into an obvious trap, Theodore Nott called out, drawing Harry's attention. "A wizard that's lost their wand is worthless, and a muggle doesn't even register as a threat."

Harry drew his wand, and tossed it casually to Neville for safe keeping. "Come on up Theo. Use whatever spells you'd like, to subdue me."

"Non-lethal of course!" Professor Longbottom called out.

Harry shrugged. "Okay, use whatever non-lethal spells you'd like. Except for that, no holds barred." He cracked his knuckles, and let his hands hang at his sides. "Whenever you're ready."

While climbing onto the stage, Nott scoffed. As soon as he stood, he drew his wand and cast in one fluid motion that showed years of dueling practice. "Incarcerous!"

Conjured ropes streaked toward Harry's chest, but he calmly stepped to the side, allowing them to pass by harmlessly. Harry motioned for Nott to continue. "Come on then, show me what you can do."

Narrowing his eyes, Nott smirked. If Potter wanted humiliation so badly, who was he to deny him just that? In a practiced motion, Nott sent four spells toward Harry, surprising many by doing so silently.

Harry noted that only one would hit him, so he ducked that one as two passed on either side, and the third splashed against the stage floor. Immediately, he leaped toward Nott, ignoring the thorny vines that scraped his legs as they sprang up from where he was standing.

Though surprised that Harry was running right at him, Nott continued his attack without pause. Jet after jet of different colored light left his wand, and headed directly for and around his opponent.

Dodging and ducking to avoid them all, Harry threw himself into Nott's legs, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

The hall was silent. Nott was face down on the stage, with Harry kneeling on him. The Slytherin's wand arm was twisted around, held tightly under Harry's knee, and the wand itself was casually pocketed by the Gryffindor.

With the same grin he'd been sporting the entire time, Harry pulled back Nott's head by his hair, exposing the trapped boy's throat. Harry's other hand reached around, and a line of crimson was drawn across Theodore's neck. "And now you're dead."

Harry put the cap back on the marker that he'd pulled from his robes, and helped Nott to his feet. "Good try though." He said to the humiliated Slytherin, before sending him back down into the crowd with his wand.

"That's the sort of thing I'd like to work on." Harry announced to the students. "Just imagine what I could have done if I had my wand."

"You're Harry Potter though." A Ravenclaw called out. "Who else is going to be able to do something like that?"

His grin vanished as he focused on the Ravenclaw. "My name is Black." He corrected coldly, then turned to face Wednesday who was standing near Neville and Susan, looking bored. "Wednesday, what do you think?"

"That was pathetic." She answered, her flat voice carried over the crowd despite its lack of volume. "My baby brother could have done better than you did Harry."

"I actually believe that." Harry agreed after a moment's thought, then he addressed the crowd again. "I just started learning how to fight without a wand myself. My girlfriend has been teaching me over the past few months, so you aren't as far behind as you might think."

"To start, I figured we could all work on dodging. Find a partner, and take turns throwing," Harry glanced at Professor Longbottom out of the corner of his eye, "minor jinxes at each other."

A few dozen students simply left, not wanting to stay if they weren't going to be learning magic, or simply because they didn't want to bother with physical activity. Harry was pleased at the dwindling number, and planned on running them ragged for the rest of their allotted time in the hope that even fewer would return.

-o-o-

Author's note: The following bonus is a combination of a few different requests, and the predictions some made for chapter 16. Everyone is slightly out of character, and the scene is not part of my story's canon.

-o-o-

BONUS SCENE

Hermione's desperation, take two.

or

A different kind of lucky.

-o-o-

Hermione rested her hand on the door to Myrtle's bathroom. She had a feeling that waiting just a touch longer was the thing to do. After standing there for nearly two minutes, she pushed the door open and walked in. Hermione felt the icy chill of a ghost as Myrtle zoomed past. The dead witch was giggling as she looped around and disappeared through the ceiling.

Wearing Wednesday's face, Hermione raised her eyebrow questioningly as she looked at Harry who had watched the ghost leave with amusement.

"I told her that I'd overheard that Draco planned on taking advantage of the prefect's bathroom right about now. Apparently he's been feeling stressed lately. Myrtle's hoping to add him to her collection of men she'd 'bathed' with." Harry explained while shrugging. "I somehow doubt she'll help him relax."

While the image of Draco bathing was one she could have done without, Hermione had to bite the inside of her lip to keep herself from laughing at the idea of Myrtle flirting with the Slytherin git. She wasn't prepared for just how sharp Wednesday's teeth were, and a trickle of blood escaped her mouth when she opened it slightly in shock. On reflex, she brought her hand finger up to wipe the blood away.

Worried that she'd blown it, Hermione's heart started racing when Harry stared at her with an expression she didn't recognize, and he grabbed her hand. She gasped when he leaned forward and licked the blood off of her finger.

"Mmm. Playtime can wait a bit longer." Harry said before capturing Hermione's lips with a searing kiss.

Hermione's mind drew a blank for a moment as Harry suckled on her bleeding lip, and drew her into his arms, this was not what she had in mind, and she knew she had to stop it. She had no idea how to end this without blowing her cover though. As the kissing became more passionate, she began to lose herself in his embrace.

"Well, this is unexpected." A flat monotone voice pointed out. "I've never understood the appeal of twins, but I suppose it's worth trying out."

Both Harry's and Hermione's eyes shot open, the former in confusion, and the later in fear.

As Harry backed up to try and figure out what was going one, he saw Wednesday's arms snake around Wednesday from behind. While doing nothing to resolve his confusion, it was a sight that stoked his arousal.

"It's almost like masturbating in a way." Wednesday commented as she cupped Hermione's breast, and ran her other hand along the other witches hip.

Hermoine moaned as she felt Wednesday's hands roam across her body. Merlin help her, she didn't know why, but she did not want what ever was happening to stop.

Harry had several thoughts pass through his mind in an instant. The Wednesday he had been kissing must be someone using polyjuice, and he was almost certainly going to be having a threesome with whoever it was and the real Wednesday. He wondered who the other witch was. He also wondered if this was such a good idea.

The real Wednesday started to disrobe the imposter, and Harry stopped caring. Whatever happened, they would deal with it later. He moved behind both girls, and started to take the real Wednesday's clothes off as well, nibbling his way down her neck as he worked. Soon both Wednesday and Hermione were nude except for their panties. The periwinkle blue of the fake Wednesday's knickers made it simple to tell them apart.

Hermione had no idea if it was the felix felices, a side effect of the polyjuice, or just a natural aspect of being a teenager, but she found herself caring less and less about repercussions. She threw herself into the moment, and helped Wednesday strip Harry down to nothing.

Harry found himself pushed roughly to the floor where his head struck the tile, causing a pleasantly sharp pain. The throbbing ache complimented his increasing ardor. As Wednesday lowered herself, obscuring his view, he enthusiastically took advantage of his parselmouth talents. He then moaned in pleasure and surprise as the fake Wednesday used her own mouth to please him.

Hermione had never done anything like this before, but she was caught in the moment and there was no turning back. She decided she may as well take full advantage of the situation, and positioned herself as she shifted her knickers out of the way. Her cry of pain as she cast away her virginity drew Wednesday's attention, and through her pleasure, the original pale girl grabbed Hermione's hair tightly and pulled her in for a kiss.

The two girls' tongues danced as Wednesday rode out her orgasm, using Hermione to muffle her own screams of ecstasy. In turn, Hermione used Wednesday's pleasure to motivate her. She began to move her hips, trying to work through the pain in search of her own release.

Shakily, Wednesday lifted Hermione up, and shoved her off of Harry. Hermione cried out in pain as she struck the cold tile, but her cries turned to pleasure as she felt Wednesday's tongue where she was most sensitive.

Wednesday might be willing to experiment, but as far as she was concerned, Harry's climax belonged to her, and her alone. As she played fast and loose with the concept of self pleasure, she lifted her backside, offering herself to Harry. She then moaned in appreciation as she felt Harry's nails dig into her rear end.

Hermione had of course experimented with masturbation, but what she was experiencing was better by an order of magnitude. When she felt Wednesday moan, it sent her over the edge, and she had to bite her knuckle to avoid screaming out her pleasure.

The sight of his Wednesday bringing the other Wednesday to climax, fueled Harry's desire, and his nails drew blood as he drove himself into Wednesday forcefully.

Before long, Harry and Wednesday collapsed to the floor. The doppelganger had already passed out from Wednesday's earlier ministrations. Utterly exhausted, Harry propped himself up with his hands to admire the two spent witches in front of him. Suddenly, the fake Wednesday's breathing became more pronounced, and with each breath she expanded. Sleek black hair frizzed as it faded to a chestnut brown, and her eyes slowly opened to reveal chocolate brown irises. As her pale skin colored, Harry was shocked to see Hermione laying on the tiles. She was naked as the day she was born, save for her askew knickers, and she was staring toward the door with a look of horror on her face.

Harry turned to see what was wrong, and saw Ron standing just inside the bathroom door. His wand loosely gripped in one hand, and the Marauder's Map in the other, Ron was as still as a statue with his mouth agape. Expressions of disbelief, confusion, and betrayal cycled across the redhead's freckled face.

"How did you get a hold of my map?" Harry asked, which caused both Ron and Hermione to look at him as if he had lost it. "What? It's a fair question."

-o-o-

Author's note: To head off any reviews complaining about McGonagall not blindly following Dumbledore's lead, remember that Marchbanks and Tofty went through the entire faculty and gave the school a proper shakedown. Everyone had been complacent in years past, but after those two read everyone the riot act, the professors are thinking for themselves again.

To stoopid dawg reviewing chapter 16: I'm glad that what happened with Hermione wasn't too predictable.

As you have read, Ron certainly didn't expect the outcome of their little plan.

I hadn't even considered changing Luna's patronus... you have a point.

To firestarter1188 reviewing chapter 16: Harry and Wednesday are dedicated to each other. Nobody will be joining them in their relationship. The odd bonus scene being the only exception.

To Gravin X reviewing chapter 16: Ron wasn't exactly alone. He still had his family and the Order on his side, and as for friends there's always Dean and Seamus. Of course, all that does him no good now.

Bloodthirsty much? I think perhaps Ron is fortunate that Hermione was the one to deal with him.

As for cannibalism, there was some of that hinted at in the earlier chapters.

To Jiggly Joe reviewing chapter 16: One of my favorite authors, David Eddings, wrote that he would litter the first hundred pages with literary fishhooks in order to catch new readers. I doubt that I'm anywhere near as good as he was, but I think I managed okay with this story. I'm glad that you gave my story enough of a chance to sink its hooks into you. :)

I'm happy with all of the responses I've gotten saying that I surprised them with what happened to Hermoine. I was really trying to fake people out with Hermione's apparent game over.

I'm not sure I ever considered having Hermione survive and not join Harry's team. I might have, I'm not sure. I definitely considered killing her off for real, but I'm happy with the way things turned out.

To Spuffylover19 reviewing chapter 16: Thank you. I'm glad you like everything so far.

To Dontblink reviewing chapter 16: You know, I hadn't even considered Hermione's parents. I'm not sure yet what would happen there. Clearly they would realize that their daughter has changed, but depending on how much they've drifted apart thanks to living in different worlds, they might attribute new oddities to her being a witch.

Hermione's moral compass has been shattered, and her inhibitions no longer exist. I'm trying to have her personality remain the same except for those two 'minor' details. Her status as a prefect had to go, otherwise things would have gotten out of control.

The question is, which rules will Hermione decide are worth following and/or enforcing now? More importantly, who has to follow which rules? As a dark wizard though, Voldemort gets a free pass on rule breaking.

To Guest reviewing chapter 3: I completely understand where you're coming from. It's always frustrating when you go to click the next chapter button, and it's not there yet.

To Guest reviewing chapter 16: Glad you liked what happened with Hermione and what happened at the bank.

Updates will be a bit slower for now, but hopefully I'll manage to wrangle more writing time before too long.

To erneymatt reviewing chapter 16: Harry and Wednesday do truly love each other. They are more restrained that Gomez and Morticia, but no less devoted to one another. Wednesday would have never had sex with Harry if her ultimate goal was to kill him.

To Guest reviewing chapter 12: You're probably right about Croaker's status as an Unspeakable, being something that shouldn't be announced so openly. Even though it is something that should really be more confidential, I think its poorly kept secret at best. In canon, Arther Weasley point out both Bode and Croaker as Unspeakables. As a department head, Arthur should have known not to say anything if it was top secret information. Heck, Arthur shouldn't have even known who they were if they were that concerned about anonymity.


	18. Expecto Patronum

Author's note: Despite the fact that I don't get the time I'd like to work on this anymore, I think writing is one of the few things keeping me sane right now.

Thank you all for reading, and making me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile here. Huge thanks to those of you who review, especially those who do so repeatedly. Reading your feedback is the best part of posting a new chapter. As always, let me know what you guys think.

-o-o-

Chapter 18

Expecto Patronum

-o-o-

For the fifth time in two weeks, Bill finished up a floo call with his brother Charlie. It was getting harder each time, but he managed to once again convince his younger brother to stay where he was. His main argument was that there was nothing he could do, and nowhere for him to stay. This of course, was a bald faced lie, but he couldn't outright tell Charlie his real reasons. He needed to know that at least one member of his family was safe, and he was sure it was a comfort to their mother as well. He shook his head as it occurred to him that the safest member of his family, was the one who played with dragons for a living.

Bill ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. His family was suffering, and there was very little he could do. Their home, the Burrow, was a complete loss from an attack where he was the first casualty. Ever since he woke up in Saint Mungo's, he had felt constant guilt that he hadn't been able to protect his family.

His fiancée was disfigured badly while protecting him, and despite his constant assurance that he still loved her with all his heart, she was convinced that he was lying. She had taken to covering her face with silk scarfs that showed only her pain-filled eyes, and she refused to remove them, even in the privacy of their small home. If he couldn't find a way to get through to her soon, he feared that she would leave him.

He had learned that the only reason they had all made it out alive at all, was that his father stood firm against Bellatrix Lestrange, giving her no ground, and allowing them time to escape. At times, Bill wondered if his father would have been better off dying that day... The healers had all but given up hope that his father would ever wake, and he was now in the permanent care ward.

Then, on top of all this tragedy, his youngest brother disappeared while at Hogwarts. Bill really wasn't certain that he could take anymore bad news.

A knock on the door startled Bill, to where he nearly fell out of the chair he was resting in. With his wand drawn, he cautiously looked through the window to see a well dressed couple. Considering they wore muggle clothes, and appeared unarmed, he risked opening the door slightly.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Bill asked tersely, a blasting curse on the tip of his tongue.

"My name is Gomez, and this is my lovely wife Morticia. We've come to show our appreciation for your actions. We would have come sooner, but it took a few days for us to convince Ragnok to let you keep your job, and by extension, your home." The man explained cheerfully. "May we come in?"

Bill froze as everything clicked into place. The muggle clothes, the almost vampiric paleness of the woman, that they claimed to have enough influence to sway Ragnok's decision... to... fire him... This couple had to be members of the Addams family, and Ragnok must have somehow learned that he aided Dumbledore in breaking through the protections set around Grimauld Place.

While his brain was able to process and come to the right conclusion fairly quickly, his mouth was a little behind. On reflex, he softly repeated the last words Gomez had said. "Come in?"

"Capitol!" Gomez's smile widened into a full grin, and he pushed the door open fully, passing the threshold with his wife before Bill could react.

Gomez casually plucked Bill's wand from his hand, slid it into Bill's pocket, and shook the redhead's hand vigorously. "An absolute pleasure to meet you old man."

"Gomez, give the boy his hand back." Morticia chided lightly, before softly smiling at Bill. "I'm sorry, my husband does get carried away on occasion. I understand you are engaged to be wed. Is your fiancée here as well? We could all sit down and enjoy a nice cup of tea while we talk."

"Bill, who eez at ze door?" A voice called out from further into the small home.

Before either Bill or Fleur understood what was going on, they were seated at their kitchen table across from Gomez and Morticia, while a kettle heated up on the stove.

"My account manager, a vicious little monster by the name of Sharpclaw, told me that you're the reason why the um..." He paused, snapping his fingers as he groped for the right words.

"Order of the Phoenix dear." Morticia supplied her husband while she studied the young couple.

"Right! You're the reason that the Order of the Phoenix was able to break into our home with such ease." Gomez finished his earlier sentence. "We can't thank you enough for the wonderful time we had."

Bill and Fleur stared at each other, trying to comprehend the bizarre situation, when the kettle began to whistle. Taking the whistle as a cue to duck out of the awkwardness for a brief time, Fleur nearly jumped out of her seat to prepare the tea.

"I'm sorry, you're thanking me?" Bill asked, thoroughly confused, and feeling as if he was under the influence of one of the twins' pranks that had gone very, very strange. "I don't understand... And not that I'm complaining, but you also said earlier that you convinced my boss to not fire me?"

"We had such a lovely time." Morticia offered in explanation. "It isn't every day we have to repel invaders from our home."

"Absolutely!" Gomez agreed enthusiastically. "We'd love for them to try again at some point, perhaps this time they could use some more lethal spells. That would really spice things up, and get the blood pumping."

"As for Ragnok, he was very eager to enact some of the steeper penalties, but as a favor to us has decided to only cut your pay and let you off with a warning." Morticia added pleasantly.

Fleur soon set down four teacups with visibly trembling hands. She had already suffered at the hands of one mad witch, and from all appearances these two made Bellatrix seem like the pinnacle of rationality.

Morticia captured one shaky hand, and gently patted it while looking deep into fleur's eyes. "You have such lovely blue eyes, they look so haunted. I noticed the photographs, so I can understand your reluctance to show your face; however, there's no need to be so self conscious around us. Although, you shouldn't keep such pictures around if you're that insecure about your looks."

Fleur's nervous fear vanished, to be replaced by indignation. "I will 'ave you know zat I was one of ze most desired woman in all of France. My face would cause men to 'umiliate zemselves in hope zat zey might gain my favor."

Morticia raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and gestured at a framed photograph that sat on a side table. "You mean you no longer look like... that? You have my deepest sympathies, I can't even imagine what might cause you to hide your face if that did not."

Furious, Fleur tore the scarves from her face, revealing her scars. A large portion of her nose was missing, along with half of her upper lip, exposing some of her teeth; there was thick scar tissue all along her face, as if she had been mauled by an angry animal; and her left cheekbone was exposed as well, where she had lost too much skin. "Are you 'appy now? Is zis what you wanted to see? I was more beautiful zan you could ever 'ope to be, and now I am 'ideous!

"My god, why would you ever want to hide a face like that?" Gomez commented sincerely, then turned to praise Bill. "Well done old man. How did you manage to capture the heart of such a beauty?"

Morticia apologized with a touch of jealousy in her voice. "My apologies, I had no idea that you were covering up out of modesty. A woman who does not flaunt her charms is a rarity. Please, forgive me."

"Well, seeing as my wife has upset your bride-to-be, I think we had best be going now." Gomez said half reluctantly. He wanted to talk more, perhaps even set up another surprise home invasion, but he was going to enjoy convincing his wife that she was the most beautiful woman in his world. "Thank your friends for us, and relay that we'd love to have them try again."

Confused more than ever, Bill and Fleur watched as Gomez ushered his wife toward the front door.

"I have no idea what just happened." Bill said as he stood and rested his hand on Fleur's shoulder to steady her now angry tremors.

Before she could fully calm down, or realize his intention, Bill took advantage of Fleur being off balance. Pulling her close, he kissed her fiercely. "There's no question that those two are crazy, but they're still absolutely right. I am a lucky man to have you, and I need you to understand that. I love you, period, end of sentence. You're the same witch that I proposed to, and I fully intend to make you my wife."

Even as they heard the front door open, and then close, Fleur searched Bill's eyes for any sign of insincerity. Finding only honesty in his gaze, she broke down in tears, holding him tightly as she let go of her pain.

Bill still had a great deal to worry about, now including his job and the strange couple that just left, but thanks to that bizarre encounter, he felt he no longer had to worry about his fiancée.

-o-o-

Harry wandered around Hogwarts' basement, until he noticed a familiar face. "Hey Susan, have you seen Wednesday?"

"Not since this morning." She replied with an air of confusion. "I thought you two were kind of joined at the hip. I'm surprised you don't know where she is."

Leanne, who had been walking with Susan, hummed thoughtfully. "She did say something about Slytherin earlier. I think she was mostly talking to herself, but it was something about being disappointed they hadn't paid her back yet? Maybe she loaned one of them some galleons, and is in the dungeons trying to get her money back."

He looked skeptical. "That doesn't sound quite right, but thanks anyway. Still, I might as well take a look."

Walking directly toward the Slytherin common room, Harry laughed as a pair of second years scurried around to avoid him. Likely because there were several older Slytherins withing sight, a third year had more backbone, and confronted him.

"What do you think you're doing down here Gryffindor?" The young girl demanded in as haughty a tone as she could manage. "The potions room is down that corridor, and you have no business anywhere else in the dungeons. Are you lost, or just stupid?"

Breaking out in a wide grin, Harry leaned down to be face to face with the Slytherin third year. "I probably know Hogwarts better than anyone else in the school. As for who's stupid..." Harry's grin grew manic, and his eyes flashed dangerously. "Your older housemates might be just down the hall, but I'm right here."

"Hawthorne, if you're going to provoke a Gryffindor, do your research first." A tightly controlled voice drawled, catching the attention of both Harry and the girl. Draco was swiftly walking toward them, with a blank expression. "Black here is likely the only Gryffindor who might actually have a legitimate reason to be here. He's also the last one you want to antagonize."

Looking betrayed, the third year left, giving Harry and Draco dirty looks as she walked away.

"I trust you don't mind that I rescued my foolish little housemate?" Draco asked, feeling good about tamping down his apprehension, and maintaining his poise. "Why are you here anyway, looking for me?"

Harry smirked. "I wouldn't have hurt her... too badly. And no, but you might be able to help me. Have you seen Wednesday? I heard she might have been down this way."

Draco furrowed his brow as he thought, then paled. "He wouldn't be that stupid, not after the Lovegood incident... Bollocks. Promise me you won't kill anyone, I might know where she is."

"Lead on." Harry said with a wave of his hand as he laughed. "I'll keep murder off the table for now. You have me curious though, why would I want to kill someone? Specifically I mean."

"A couple younger students, third or fourth year, have been asking seventh years to help get back at some uppity Hufflepuff." Draco explained as he led Harry through the lesser walked hallways. "I'm pretty sure that idiot Selwyn agreed to help them, but I only now put it together that Wednesday might be the Hufflepuff they were talking about."

After starting up a set of stairs that curved up, they heard voices. Soon they saw Wednesday pinned to the outer wall, suspended a few feet off the floor, next to a small window that was several feet above the Black Lake. Half a dozen Slytherins were crowded around her laughing. The younger ones scattered, leaving three seventh years.

"What do you think you're doing? Harry demanded as he moved to Wednesday's side. He shook his head in disgust. "This is all wrong. She looks way too comfortable. You should have at least hung her upside down."

Selwyn and his friends were preparing to hex Harry when his words caught them off guard. They weren't sure what to do. Did the school's most public couple have a major falling out?

Harry canceled the silencing charm on his girlfriend, and asked how she was. "Are you in pain, did they hurt you at all?"

"No, it's been dreadful. They've just been talking about setting me adrift on the lake without my robes." She rolled her eyes. "Although, I was impressed with how underhanded these three were in capturing me. Really, you should take some lessons, I didn't stand a chance."

Ignoring Draco and the others, Harry charmed one of the stones behind Wednesday to expand outward. With her arms and legs magically stuck to the wall, soon her limbs were straining, and her whole body was arched painfully.

"There, that's better." Harry turned to Selwyn. "Why exactly did you want to torture my girlfriend anyway?"

Before any of the Slytherins could process what was going on and respond, Harry had grabbed Selwyn by his collar, and swung him around, pushing him against the wall on the other side of the window. Pressing his knife against the older boy's throat, he threatened Selwyn. "Because she is my girlfriend. Understand?"

"Draco, do something." One of the other seventh years demanded.

"Yeah, you're the prefect, take care of this psycho." The other added.

Draco wondered for a moment what his life would be like if Harry Potter had never become Harry Black. Perhaps he'd be dealing with something far simpler, maybe a mission from the Dark Lord to kill Dumbledore. That would almost be relaxing in comparison. "Black... Harry... Selwyn is an idiot. Let him go, he's not trying to steal your girlfriend."

"No? But he was planning on stripping her down to her knickers wasn't he?" A drop of blood ran along his blade as he pressed a tiny bit harder. "Or was he planning on stripping her completely?"

"For Merlin's sake Harry!" Draco raised his voice in an attempt to keep Selwyn alive. "You can't just kill a Hogwarts student in the middle of Hogwarts!"

"He has a point Harry." Wednesday added calmly, despite the obvious strain on her body.

"Alright." Harry agreed after a moments deliberation. "Just remember, Wednesday is mine."

Rubbing his throat, Selwyn stumbled behind his friends. "Just wait until Slughorn hears..."

"Oh shut it Selwyn!" Draco yelled. "You're going to tell Slughorn what exactly? That you ganged up on, and threatened his favorite student?" Lowering his voice, Draco walked up to the larger boy. "Your father wears the Dark Mark, same as mine, and Slughorn wants nothing to do with Death Eaters. He isn't like Snape is at all, he'll gladly take the Hufflepuff's side over you. Now do the smart thing, and just drop it."

As the seventh years left, Harry looked at Draco appraisingly. "Look at you Draco, you're actually starting to turn into the kind of wizard you've been pretending to be since I met you."

"I... What?" Draco looked confused.

"You appear stronger, more legitimately assertive. I've only known you a short while, but I can see the difference." Wednesday pointed out, still stretched out on Harry's improvised rack.

"I do?" Draco muttered to himself, then looked at Wednesday, who looked far too... pleased with her current position. "Do you need help getting her down? I'm pretty sure I know which spell he used, and it's not a standard sticking charm."

Looking disappointed, Harry sighed. "Yeah, we don't really have time for anything else. We were supposed to be meeting Hagrid a few minutes ago."

Unable to prevent himself from shuddering first, Draco cast a counter-curse. Wednesday's limbs detached from the wall, and she fell, landing gracefully.

"I knew Selwyn wasn't that bright, but I can't believe he used that curse to secure you. A simple sticking charm would have done the job..." Draco shook his head.

"What difference is there?" Wednesday asked as Harry returned the stone wall to it's original state.

"For you? There probably isn't too much of one." Draco explained. "In theory, the curse he used amplifies fear, anxiety, and encourages truthfulness. It's meant to be used for interrogations. It also won't be dispelled by anything but the counter-curse. Technically, it's considered dark magic."

Draco watched Black and Addams walk away hand in hand, and thought about what they had said. Despite his ever present confident exterior, he had always been in a state of near constant anxiety, sometime even outright fear. He was still almost always afraid, but now that fear all stemmed from Black and others tainted by primal magic. Everything else wasn't worth the slightest trepidation in comparison. In some twisted way, maybe Black was doing him a favor by being so psychotic...

-o-o-

"Fer a minute I didn't think you were gonna come." Hagrid waved Harry and Wednesday into his hut.

"That's my fault, I got caught up in a game." Wednesday apologized. "I'm excited to see what you have in mind."

Hagrid took her words at face value, despite the fact that her expression and tone suggested that she was completely disinterested. "She's hiding behind tha bed, a bit skittish seeing as she's a runt. Haven't named her either, so if you want ta keep her you can think up one you like."

Reaching into the darkness behind his bed, Hagrid gently pulled out a giant spider. The arachnid was about a foot tall, and two feet wide, including its legs.

"Is that an acromantula Hagrid?" Harry asked, remembering the huge colony that was in the Forbidden Forest.

"Sure is Harry... You two are gonna keep this between us right? Professor Tofty will have my job if he finds out about Aragog and his family." The giant of a man looked like a small nervous child despite his size.

"Your secrets are safe with us Hagrid, but you'll probably want to lay off the ale. You wouldn't want to accidentally tell him yourself." Harry advised.

"You said she's a runt." Wednesday commented. "Does that mean she won't get any bigger?"

Giving Harry a nervous smile, Hagrid answered Wednesday. "Oh she'll still grow, but she won't ever get bigger than four or five feet. She was one of tha last of Aragog's children, Mosag's eggs haven't been right lately, she's too old."

Wednesday picked up the acromantula by its body, and examined it as it tried to squirm free. "Is she as venomous as a regular one?"

"I think she's got more venom than her brothers and sisters do. Her glands are twice as big as they should be." Hagrid pointed out where the venom glands were located.

"I think she'll make a wonderful pet." Wednesday decided, as she ran a finger along one of the acromantula's fangs. "I'll have to think up a suitable name. I'll take my time and come up with something better than Ambassador."

"It's The Ambassador, and what's wrong with that name? It suits him just fine." Harry defended his choice.

"You have a new pet Harry?" Hagrid asked in interest.

Rolling back the sleeve of his robe, Harry hissed. A snake slithered its way down his arm, and coiled around his wrist. "I'm not really sure what kind of snake he is, but I know he's not magic. I think he's some kind of pit viper."

"Good on you Harry. Taking a misunderstood creature like a snake on as a pet." Hagrid voiced his approval, then frowned as he looked at the acromantula as if for the first time. "Should probably call your parents ta pick her up. Can't have an acromantula discovered in Hogwarts... It'll cause trouble."

Harry smirked. "Don't worry Hagrid. I know just the place we can keep her safe."

"Where's that?" The half-giant asked.

"It's a secret." Harry answered as his smile widened. Out of Hagrid's view, Wednesday rolled her eyes.

-o-o-

 _Harry,_

 _My mum and I have been arguing about the whole family thing constantly. She's even got my dad on her side, not that he has any idea about the details. Long story short, I'm in... for now._

 _I don't like this one bit, but I've been convinced to give you the benefit of the doubt. Just remember, I am an auror. Step out of line, and I'm coming down on you hard. If I ever get the chance, I will take down Bellatrix. Mad-Eye has been giving me special training, so don't make the mistake of thinking that I'm bluffing._

 _As for your great plan to save the Black family, you'll just have to wait. The man I wanted to have babies with, is more interested in what he can do for you, than what I can do to him. Thanks to my love life's bleak outlook, you aren't getting a sprog out of me anytime soon._

 _Whenever mum hasn't been yelling at me to accept your offer, she's been trying to convince my dad to give her a new baby. He's not interested, so who knows how long until you see anything there. I will admit, it was pretty funny when dad suggested they adopt a kid instead. Mum patiently explained that the whole point was to have a baby with Black blood, and by patiently explained, I mean screamed at him until he dropped the idea._

 _ **Tonks**_

-o-o-

"Good news?" Wednesday asked as she emptied a phial into his pumpkin juice, after pouring some into her own drink. Both goblets now bubbled ominously, and gave off an acrid smoke.

"Both good and bad I suppose." He replied, setting the letter down. "Considering Nymphadora is the only one who's reluctantly going along, I suppose I can't really complain."

Wednesday took a second helping of sausage, and a sip of her drink before responding. "I don't really think that Draco is too enthusiastic."

Harry drained his goblet in one long gulp. Steam escaped from his ears, and a small plume of fire shot out of his mouth as he burped. "Nonsense, we're pals now."

Over at the Slytherin table, Draco felt a cold chill run down his spine.

Coughing, Harry pounded his chest and looked into his empty goblet. "That lemonade recipe Pugsley told me about?"

"Slightly altered from what we used to make, but essentially the same mix." She nodded before taking another sip.

-o-o-

After the initial meeting, Harry's defense club saw a sharp decrease in attendance. The number of students willing to learn the non-magical side of defense was much more manageable than the enormous crowd that first showed up. Most of those remaining were members of Dumbledore's Army. There were also several younger students, mostly muggleborns and hufflepuffs, and surprisingly, a handful of older Slytherins stuck with it as well.

Before Harry started the meeting off, Blaise Zabini approached with a request. "I understand not wanting to bother with magic we'll learn anyway in class, but I hear that you taught the patronus charm last year. I for one would be interested in learning that myself, and I know it's not part of the standard curriculum."

"Why not?" Harry shrugged. He was doing this for fun anyway, so he wasn't concerned with sticking to a lesson plan. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I pushed the mundane defense so much to scare off most of the people wanting to join up. To be honest, I'm surprised you stuck around."

"I believe in the superiority of magic. That doesn't mean I can't understand the value of physical exertion. As you demonstrated before, the most powerful spell in the world can be thwarted by merely stepping out of the way." Blaise explained in a bored tone. "Besides, it's not uncommon for a wizard to learn to use a sword. You can't get more mundane than swinging around a piece of steel. Even if it happens to be enchanted."

Harry nodded in agreement, then hopped up onto the raised platform to address the members of his little club. "Today we're going to start off with something that's supposed to be so difficult that most grown wizards can't do it, the patronus charm." Seeing some of the younger children look worried, Harry turned to them. "Don't worry if you can't manage it. This isn't a class. You can work on anything you want really, but you should at least try."

"I taught the patronus to several of you last year." Harry motioned for his friends to join him on the dais. "Hermione, Luna, why don't you two demonstrate? I know you both managed it last year."

The girls stepped up, and after Harry briefly went over the theory, wand motion, and incantation, they each performed the spell flawlessly. Harry was expecting the same otter and long-eared hare that the two had produced before. Instead a surprisingly adorable rabbit hopped out of Luna's wand, and the rather large form of a sphinx appeared from Hermione's.

The sphinx stalked across the stage, causing an amusing disturbance, as most of the boys were distracted by her bare assets. Harry couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle, and almost missed it when Luna's rabbit yawned, revealing enormous teeth that looked razor sharp.

"Thank you girls. Remember everyone, your patronus' form comes from a reflection of you in some way, so you have no control over what creature your patronus will be. Sorry to disappoint you guys." Harry chuckled as a few of the boys looked embarrassed. "It will probably take some time before you manage to produce a patronus, so don't get too discouraged. Keep trying, and remember," Harry pointed to his manic grin as it formed. "Happy thoughts!"

Everyone attempted the spell for at least a little while, but many decided to work on other things. Soon the club was broken up into a few different groups. Those who had been in Dumbledore's Army, and had already managed it the year before, were taking turns practicing their aim and dodging skills; the DA members who hadn't quite managed it, along with most of the older students, continued to practice the patronus charm; and Wednesday found herself showing the younger students how to relieve someone of their wand, and subdue them physically.

Showing favoritism subtly, Wednesday would whisper additional advice to the young hufflepuffs, as she walked around teaching the children how to hurt each other without magic. She was pleased to note that the three first years that she had helped before were both there, and particularly enthusiastic.

Harry worked with the group that was trying to cast the patronus, and was called over by Blaise and Daphne, who were working together with no visible progress.

"Rumor was, that you managed this back in our third year, so it can't be that hard." Daphne said with a frustrated tone. "What are we doing wrong?"

"Your wand work, and pronunciation seem to be about right." Harry commented after having them show him what they were doing. "You probably aren't using the right memory. It's also important to really feel the happiness of the memory. It's not enough to just remember a good time, you have to fill yourself with joy."

Remembering his summer with the Addamses, Harry concentrated on how it felt to be truly accepted by, and welcomed into the Addams family. "Expecto patronum."

A silvery creature coalesced, and began to trot about, its spectral hooves making no sound.

Daphne looked at Harry, fixing him with a flat stare. "I thought you were a master of this spell. What's wrong, your happy thoughts not enough anymore?"

Blaise looked confused at Daphne's reaction, then took a closer look at Harry's patronus as it unfurled two leathery wings. "You have a thestral patronus? I didn't know that was possible."

"Thestral?" Daphne looked at Blaise sharply. "You mean even a thestral patronus is invisible?"

"To you apparently." Harry shrugged as he wondered why he was expecting a stag, when both Hermione and Luna had new patronuses. "Blaise must have seen someone die."

After dispelling his thestral, Harry smiled and clapped them both on the shoulder. "I know you two aren't exactly known for smiling, but I'm sure you'll manage. Remember, use your memory to fill yourself with joy."

Leaving the two Slytherins to it, Harry made his way over to Susan, who was looking decidedly upset.

"I thought you were getting pretty close last year, what happened?" Harry asked as he stepped into Susan's field of vision.

Scowling, Susan averted her eyes. "You-know-who happened. I have happy memories, but every time I try to remember them, I can't help but think about what he did to my family instead."

"Use that then." Harry offered. When Susan swung her head back around to stare at him incredulously, he elaborated. "Think about how happy you'll feel when he gets himself killed. You don't really need a memory, you can use an idea too. I used to use the thought of what a loving family might be like for my patronus."

Susan thought about what Harry said for a moment, also recalling what Wednesday had told her at the beginning of term. Focusing on Wednesday's words of revenge, she imagined defeating Voldemort herself. In her mind's eye he fell to her wand, and she stood proud, having avenged her family. "Expecto patronum."

A silver mist flowed from Susan's wand, and she concentrated harder, imagining how she would feel in the scenario she had thought up. The mist grew more solid, and began to take shape. Soon a weasel-like creature formed, and Susan smiled grimly at her new mongoose patronus.

-o-o-

Bonus Scene

Ron's private lesson

-o-o-

After tying him to a chair, and trying to reason with Ron for nearly half an hour, Hermione realized it was a lost cause.

"I still can't have you doing anything foolish." She said more to herself than to him. Glancing at her prefect badge, she bit her bottom lip in thought. "I think I'll teach you the spell I just learned. After all, It's quite useful."

Ron glared at her. "I don't want to learn any bloody spells, Just let me go!"

Ignoring his pleas, Hermione calmly explained the flesh mending spell. "The incantation is epidio sarka, and the wand motion is a swirling pattern over the wound. Listen and watch carefully as I demonstrate. Proper pronunciation is vital with medical spells."

She neatly cut a hole into Ron's forearm with the same cutting spell she had used on herself earlier. He screamed, started spouting obscenities, and bucked wildly against his restraints.

"Really now, if you don't hold still and pay attention, how are you ever going to do this yourself?" She pointed out as she gripped his arm firmly to steady it. With a quick swirl of her wand, she cast the spell, "Epidio sarka."

As he felt his flesh literally pull itself back together, Ron hissed in pain. "Merlin's balls! What are you doing to me?"

Hermione sighed, and shook her head. "We've been over this, I'm teaching you the flesh mending spell Ronald. As your friend and a prefect, it's my duty to help you learn spells that you need to know. Chances are if you continue your ridiculous quest to 'rescue' Harry, you will need this spell."

"Rescuing Harry was your bloody idea!" Ron screamed as he continued to try and free himself.

"No, both of us wanted our friend back." She corrected. "I'll admit I was more eager than you, but maybe that's why I do have Harry back. Regardless, you'll no doubt try to 'rescue' me now, and you'll face the same problems anyway."

"Now, while I find out how to get rid of these scars, you should practice the incantation." Hermione suggested as she held up her hands to display her spiraled palms.

Turning her back on Ron, Hermione returned to the tome, and continued flipping through it. By the time she found what she was looking for, and had smoothed away her scars, Ron had managed to struggle enough to free his wand hand, tip his chair over, and was pulling himself toward the other chair, where Hermione had set his wand.

"Tsk." Hermione chided. "You should have been practicing."

She righted his chair, and cut open his robes to expose the top of his legs. "I have to go, but you really should practice. I'll just leave you to it."

She opened up two gaping wounds, one in each thigh. Ignoring his screams, she grabbed her book, and vanished his ropes on her way out of the room.

"Wait! You can't just leave me like this!" Ron cried out, causing Hermione to pause with her hand on the now usable doorknob.

"I've already showed you how to do the spell, twice on myself and once on you. Listen closely, the pronunciation is epidio sarka. You won't learn if I do it for you, and I've given you what you need to learn the spell." Hermione lectured, much the way she had regarding homework in the past. "Learning by doing is the most effective way to learn, so I gave you injuries to practice on. You're welcome."

The situation he was in finally hit Ron as he realized Hermione was dead serious. "Epedeo saarka, epedio, epedio saarka." Ron practiced as he tried to reach his wand.

The pain in his thighs was excruciating, so he couldn't stand and walk the remaining few steps. Instead, he gritted his teeth, and lunged. Letting out a scream of both pain and triumph, his hand closed around his wand, and he collapsed to the floor.

"Incarcerus!" Ron yelled as he swung his arm toward Hermione. Chagrined, he watched the ropes collide with the door harmlessly. She had already left, and once more the door's handle was flat and unusable.

A surge of pain from his wounds brought his attention back to his more pressing problem. Trying his best not to panic, he propped himself up into a sitting position, and quickly swirled his wand over the hole in his thigh, and tried the spell. "Epedio saarka!"

Ron screamed in renewed pain as the flesh surrounding the injury tore itself away to cover the hole, leaving him with a larger ring-shaped wound. Cursing, he closed his eyes and tried to remember exactly how Hermione cast the spell.

When he opened his eyes, he had to blink a few times to clear his vision. He didn't remember seeing quite so much blood on the ground a second ago... Holding his suddenly shaky wand over the enlarged wound, he tried again. "Espideo... Epideo sarkka."

The circle of flesh created by his first attempt shifted, and attached itself to the rest of his skin, leaving an even more gaping hole that continued to hemorrhage.

Realizing that his injuries no longer hurt, Ron figured that he must be close to getting the spell right. Just one more try, that's all he would need. His wand slid out of his grip as he tried to cast the spell a third time. "Esplido skar..."

Ron fell back, losing consciousness before he hit the floor. A crimson pool slowly expanded as Ron's heart continued to beat, spilling his lifeblood into the room. Soon his heart stopped, and the room was still.

The door across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy slowly faded, leaving an unremarkable stretch of wall, no different from any other.

-o-o-

Author's note: I originally didn't think that writing out the scene where Hermione 'dealt' with Ron was a good idea, as I didn't think it would be very entertaining. I decided to go ahead and write it anyway for several different reasons. It came out much better than I had imagined.

At this point, I have most of the school year somewhat mapped out. There are certain scenes that I have already written, and am really looking forward to posting. Thankfully, Halloween isn't too far off, and it will have one such scene.

To Gravin X reviewing chapter 17: I didn't mean to offend with my bloodthirsty comment. I probably should have included a smiley face. Considering some of the scenes I've written, I'm certainly in no place to judge. Not to mention that despite what a few readers have thought, I hold back quite a bit to keep things from slipping into 'MA.'

I'm glad that despite my lack of detail you enjoyed Ron's fate. Hopefully you also enjoyed my elaboration of his lesson with Hermione. :)

To Sinclair36 reviewing chapter 17: I think from Hermione's perspective it's almost like role-playing. Depending on her current 'role,' she might see herself as good, evil, or anywhere in between. As a prefect, she would have had to lean more toward good, as a student she's somewhere in between, and as Harry's friend, she'll probably feel she is supposed to be evil.

Hermione definitely would have remained a prefect if the position didn't put her life in danger regarding Harry. Despite the lack of morals and other Addamsish tendencies, she is still Hermione.

To Spuffylover19 reviewing chapter 17: I'm glad you liked Harry's little Defense Club, and thanks for the generally encouraging comments.

To Jiggly Joe reviewing chapter 17: Hermione's rationale is perfectly understandable. At least that's what the voices in my head tell me... I'm kidding... That's not what they really said. (Can you tell what movie I'm looking forward to?)

Ron's never been too good at thinking about more than one thing at a time. He was freaking out, but then switched over to angry thoughts of perceived betrayal.

Ron's fate should be crystal clear now. Sorry, but one way or another I really couldn't see him surviving long as an antagonist for Harry. At least Hermione gave him a fighting chance, not much of one, but he would have probably lived if he paid attention.

I do feel somewhat sorry for the the Weasleys in general, I really have dumped a steaming pile on them. As a family though, they are steadfastly for the light, and will not compromise their ideals. The tree that bends will survive the hurricane, the tree that stands firm will break under the storm's fury.

To Just a reader reviewing chapter 9: The pain ward didn't hurt Andromeda or Nymphadora, because it was temporarily taken down for the Black family meeting. In chapter 8 Harry told them that the wards would be down in their invitation. This was a partial lie in case Tonks tried to bring along Dumbledore, only the pain ward was actually lowered. The intent wards were still up and very much lethal. Of course, since those wards are powered by Black blood, they wouldn't affect Andromeda or her daughter anyway. As you probably have read in chapter 10, Harry mentions that the pain ward will be put back up for any future visits.

To Darth Toenail reviewing chapter 16: Whether or not Voldemort intended to kill Harry is irrelevant, the end result is that he was left alive as a sole survivor. That's not a very fair judgment, but I can't see Wednesday caring.

While I can picture Lily becoming quite dangerous, I wouldn't say that she'd be twisted. Harry didn't get his crazy from his parents, that just cropped up independently of anything else.

Thank you for the image I now have of Snape sitting down to tea among over-the-top friendly Hufflepuffs. His madly twitching eye is quite amusing.


	19. Plotting and keeping secrets

Author's note: This one's the shortest chapter yet, unless you count the bonus scenes at the end. If all goes well, the next chapter should more than make up for it.

As always, thanks for reading, and special thanks to all who review. Whether by using the review feature or sending me a PM, let me know what you think. Positive or negative, every bit of feedback is appreciated.

-o-o-

Chapter 19

Plotting and keeping secrets

-o-o-

"Now that we've all had a month to settle in, let's address any concerns that may have cropped up." Headmaster Tofty looked at each of the heads of house, who sat with him at a small round table in his office. "Minerva, I'm afraid that the DMLE has yet to learn anything of your wayward student's disappearance. Except for that tragic situation, do you have anything to share?"

McGonagall frowned slightly. "That would be my main concern. Other than that, my new prefects all seem to be working out. Mister Longbottom has grown considerably, and in truth has been doing a better job than Mister Weasley. As for Miss Patil, she has been... adequate. I would prefer Miss Granger, but she has been resolute in her decision to turn in her badge."

"Why did Miss Granger give up her position?" Flitwick asked. "I was under the impression that she loved the responsibility, and took it very seriously."

"Perhaps too seriously." McGonagall shook her head. "Something about not seeing herself graduating if she remained a prefect. I told her that her schoolwork of course came first, and no one would be upset if she let her prefect duties slide every now and then. She insisted though, and I found myself replacing two prefects instead of one."

"Oh dear. Well, it may be for the best." Sprout pointed out. "None of us want to see Miss Granger burn herself out."

"What about your badgers Pomona?" Tofty prompted. "How is Miss Addams fitting in?"

Sprout pursed her lips in thought for a moment before answering. "I'm not entirely sure what to make of Miss Addams. She seems to be fitting in with her roommates, and the first years absolutely adore her."

"The first years, why? I had thought only the prefects bothered to help out the younger children, even in your house. Have things changed since my retirement?" Slughorn asked, curious about any information regarding Miss Addams.

"As near as I can tell she has taken, 'your house is your family,' very seriously. Miss Addams has been treating the first years as if they were her younger brothers and sisters." Sprout explained. "More often than not, they will ask her for help instead of a prefect or a professor, which leads me to why I'm uncertain about her. She's been advocating defending oneself with more... enthusiasm than is appropriate."

"Ah, I think I see where you're going with this." Slughorn held up his hand to interrupt. "I've had quite a few of my snakes wind up in the infirmary as of late, but they haven't been honest about what put them there. I wouldn't worry too much about it. There hasn't been any permanent harm, and I'm afraid my students have probably deserved it."

Frowning, Slughorn elaborated. "Severus was an absolutely brilliant student, and even surpassed me in some ways as a potion master, but I don't know what Albus was thinking allowing that man to teach, let alone become head of house. Quite frankly my house is a mess, and if a few of your badgers can beat some sense back into my students, then I have no problem looking the other way. I'm doing my best to straighten Slythein out, but it's an uphill battle."

"I don't like it, but I suppose I can't argue with the effect." Sprout reluctantly admitted. "Now that Miss Addams has been influencing her housemates, I've had almost no complaints of bullying. Apparently my Puffs aren't viewed as easy targets any more. We do need to put a stop to the infirmary visits though, I'll have to have another word with Miss Addams."

"I've had to crack down on bullying in Ravenclaw as well." Flitwick commented ruefully. "One of the downsides to being the house of scholars, is we tend to focus too well, and lose sight of what's happening around us. There was an incident on the first day, and since then I've had my prefects actively look out for signs of bullying. I've been keeping an eye out myself as well."

"I think everyone has been too complacent Filius." Tofty pointed out. "It's part of the reason why Griselda and I turned Hogwarts upside-down this year. It may take some time, but I'm confident we're on the right track now."

-o-o-

Owls filled the Great Hall, delivering mail as usual. Hedwig swooped down, and landed on Harry's shoulder. She held out her leg, and waited patiently.

Harry deftly removed the small note, and produced a live mouse from his robes. Hedwig barked enthusiastically, snagged the terrified rodent with her talons, and flew off to have her breakfast.

"You've been receiving a lot of notes lately. Anyone I know?" Wednesday asked with a raised brow and the slightest edge to her voice.

"Your dad actually." Harry handed her the short note, written in Gomez's handwriting, that merely said: _'Saturday morning. -Gringotts'_

"Is there a problem?" She asked, her voice smoothing out to its usual monotone.

"I don't think so, but something has come up that I need to be there in person for." Harry shrugged, and stood up. "I might as well see if they'll let me go to the bank this weekend. If not then I'll just sneak out. I don't think it will take long."

As Harry left the Gryffindor table to talk with Professor McGonagall, Katie held up her hand with a questioning look on her face. "Um, am I the only one who thinks it's weird that Harry was carrying a live mouse in his pocket?"

"It's easier if you don't question weird things like that." Neville suggested. "Just let it go."

-o-o-

Lost in deep thought while staring into the depth of the Black Lake in the Slytherin common room, Draco nearly jumped when Theodore Nott sat next to him and spoke. "Thinking about what you're going to do to Potter? The half-blood has no right to head a pure family like the Blacks. If you'd like some help, I've got some ideas."

"Keep them to yourself. I'm done antagonizing Black." Draco said sharply, then he grabbed Theodore's collar, pulled him close, and whispered into his ear. "Did your father not tell you that Black is off limits? The Dark Lord has ordered that he be left alone."

Swatting Draco's hand away, Theodore whispered back angrily. "The Dark Lord ordered that Potter be left alone, for now. What I have in mind will make it easy to eliminate him at any time. The Dark Lord will reward me."

Pulling away from Draco, Theodore sneered. "The Malfoy influence has waned considerably thanks to your father's failures. Now, we Notts are taking our rightful place."

Draco's eyes widened, and he glanced at Theodore's left arm. "Have you..."

Theodore grinned sadistically. "Yes, and I already have my first real task. Dealing with Potter is just taking advantage of an opportunity."

As Theodore walked off, Draco wondered what, if anything, he should do with this information. His loyalty to the Dark Lord hadn't interfered with his interactions with Black until now. Then again, Nott was acting alone. The real question was if it would be considered betraying the Dark Lord, or obeying him if he warned Black.

"What can you tell me about Addams?" Another voice tore Draco out of his contemplation.

"By Salazar, what now?" Draco groused as he turned to see who it was this time.

"Addams, the new Hufflepuff." Millicent Bulstrode crossed her arms, and stared at Draco. "I've been partnering with her in divination, and I can't figure her out. My gut tells me that she's worth becoming friends with, but there's something off about her."

"And what makes you so sure I know anything?" He replied snidely.

Millicent glared at Draco for a moment before saying anything. "You've always made it your business to know everything there is to know about Potter... Black... whatever his name is, and she's his girlfriend. There's no way you don't know something, or are you just pissy because he keeps turning down your advances?"

"Thank you for that lovely image Bulstrode." Draco's face contorted in disgust. "Fine then, why should I tell you anything, what's in it for me?"

"Merlin you're an arse." Millicent swore as she walked around, and dropped onto a nearby chair. "Fine... I can get Parkinson to give up on you, but if I do, I want more than just information. I want a favor. I don't know what yet, but one at least as valuable as rescuing you from her affections."

Truth be told, Draco was only being difficult because it was one of the now rare occasions, where he could be petulant and not risk his life. This was a wonderful opportunity though, he'd been trying to drop Pansy since their disastrous 'date' during, or rather after, the yule ball almost two years ago.

"An unspecified favor?" Draco feigned reluctance, he knew Bulstrode was surprisingly fair, at least when dealing with other Slytherins. "Only if we can be reasonable about the value of said favor."

"Deal. Tell me about Addams, and I'll tell you everything you need to make sure Parkinson won't even come near you again."

-o-o-

"That firstie is so cute. If it wasn't for the pigtails she wears now, I'd swear she was trying to look just like you." Susan smiled in amusement as she caught up to Wednesday. "She tries so hard to be expressionless like you."

"I hadn't thought of it that way." Wednesday shrugged. "As for the pigtails, I used to wear my hair like that until recently. The braids help keep your hair out of the way while you're playing, and you can also hide weapons in them if they're done right."

Susan laughed. "Well, I don't think she'll be hiding anything dangerous in them."

"It's not likely, no." Wednesday agreed. "I don't think you can get the right kind of knife around here."

"Right... Well anyway, it's cute. I think the two little boys she's always with, have a crush on you as well."

Wednesday nodded. "I know, Tina is going to keep a leash on them and make sure they don't wind up looking too foolish."

Remembering Wednesday's 'toys,' Susan looked a little worried. "You mean that metaphorically right?"

Raising an eyebrow at that thought, Wednesday put Susan's mind at ease. "Of course. They're a little young for that kind of playtime."

Relieved, Susan walked in silence with Wednesday on their way to dinner. It was slow going, but she was beginning to come to terms with what Wednesday considered normal in a relationship. She wasn't about to let her corrupt the firsties like that though, so she was glad it wasn't what it sounded like.

"Another dinner with Slughorn?" Susan asked, noticing that Wednesday was heading toward the dungeons instead of the Great Hall.

"Yes. He's a disgusting opportunist, who is hoping to ingratiate himself to anyone he thinks will have wealth, fame, or power." Wednesday commented casually. "He reminds me of our old family lawyer. I have some fond memories of Mister Alford."

"Your lawyer? What happened to him?" Susan couldn't help but ask, despite not being sure she actually wanted the answer.

"He died." Wednesday said simply. "My brother and I buried him in the family cemetery ourselves."

"Oh, sorry." Susan bit her lip, and looked away slightly.

"It's fine." Wednesday said as she continued walking. "He wasn't a very good lawyer, and burying him is one of the better memories."

-o-o-

The Slug Club was much smaller now that Professor Slughorn had gotten a feel for everyone's potential value. Those who were deemed unworthy had been culled, and ten students remained. In past years, the Slug club was usually even smaller, but it seemed that this was a generation filled with potential greatness.

Harry, Wednesday, and Hermione all sat together while the rest of the students slowly filtered in. Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass represented Slytherin, along with Flora and Hestia Carrow, seventh year twins. Cormac McLaggen was the only other Gryffindor. McLaggen was trying to impress the lone Ravenclaw, Nabijah Shafiq, but she showed no interest in the boastful lion. Finally, Melinda Bobbin was the last to arrive. Smiling, the seventh year Hufflepuff sat in the last remaining seat between Nabijah and Professor Slughorn.

The dynamic of Slughorn's dinners had changed as well. Now that the ambitious professor felt confident that he had only the best, brightest, or most connected students, Slughorn concentrated on securing each one's loyalties.

Dinner consisted of fine food, accompanied by conversation meant to bring everyone closer together. Before anyone realized how much time had passed, the food disappeared, and dessert took it's place on the table. Professor Slughorn smiled jovially as he got up and walked to his sideboard.

"Sometimes the best special occasion, is the one that isn't special for any particular reason." The professor chuckled as he brought out a large bottle of mead. "I recently acquired this excellent aged mead, and I thought: what better way to enjoy it, than to share it with Hogwarts' finest? Now I know a couple of you aren't of age yet, but just this once, we'll look the other way."

With an exaggerated wink, he sent the bottle around the table with a graceful wand motion. Each student's goblet was filled halfway with the sweet honey wine, until the bottle emptied itself into Slughorn's goblet, filling it to the brim.

Wednesday raised an eyebrow, as she breathed in the aroma of the mead. "I was under the impression that manticore venom was an acquired taste."

"Don't be ridiculous my dear." The professor gave a small laugh. "It's only mead, wine made from honey."

Nabijah frowned, and waved her wand over her goblet just in case. Glowing a sickly green, the mead was clearly deadly.

"Merlin... Quickly, did anyone drink any?" Slughorn asked immediately. Sighing in relief when he was sure that no one had been poisoned, he quickly vanished everyone's mead, goblets and all. He put his own goblet under a stasis spell, and set it and the bottle to the side to deal with later.

"Well done Misses Addams and Shafiq. Insufficient as it may be, thirty points to Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw for saving us all from a most gruesome fate." Slughorn wiped his brow with a silk handkerchief. "Given the circumstances, I think we should call it a night. I'll be looking in to how this tragedy nearly happened.

Falling heavily into his chair, the potions master tried to remember where he had gotten that particular bottle. He was disturbed to realize that the memory of actually receiving the poisoned mead, was hazy and indistinct.

-o-o-

On their way through the halls, Wednesday frowned. "All I meant was that I was surprised he managed to find such a rare treat. Manticore venom isn't exactly easy to come by."

"It's a shame he got rid of it before we could try some." Harry agreed with Wednesday's sentiment, mourning the lost opportunity.

"Wednesday probably already has." Hermione commented as they walked. "She did recognize it by scent alone."

"She's right." Wednesday said with the barest hint of a taunting smirk. "I found the key to Mother's rare poison collection when I was nine. The drop I tasted nearly ate a hole through my tongue."

"Did she ever find out?" Harry asked while softly laughing.

Wednesday nodded. "Mother caught me before I could pour a few drops into Pugley's eyes, and she scolded us for being wasteful. She wouldn't let me add anything to my food, not even arsenic, for months in punishment. I never did find where she moved her collection..."

-o-o-

"Look, I came here for a job because I thought Albus was still headmaster." Slughorn was sweating nervously as he talked with Headmaster Tofty in the older wizard's office. "You managed to convince me that even without Albus, Hogwarts would be safe for me."

Tofty picked up the empty Mead bottle that had been forcefully set on his desk. "Are you certain this was an attempt on your life?"

"By the founders, it was laced with Manticore venom!" Slughorn stressed, surprised that Tofty could see any other possibility. "Instantly lethal if you get stung, and ingesting the stuff is even worse. To top it off, someone has memory charmed me. I can't clearly remember purchasing that bottle."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Tofty sighed loudly. "I know, I was just hoping... Merlin, I wanted to make the school a better place for the students... Horace, you weren't clear when I interviewed you. Why are you concerned for your safety? Why do those terrorists want you dead?"

"My skills as a potion master of course." He answered a little too quickly. "They tried to recruit me, and I said no, one too many times. I imagine since they can't have my skill, they want to make sure that no one can."

Professor Solomon Tofty was a very old man. Well into his second century of life, he had picked up a great number of skills throughout the years. One such skill was that he took the time to notice little things. Little things often add up to something very big, and everything he was noticing about Horace Slughorn, pointed to the idea that he was hiding a very big thing.

"Horace, There may not be an abundance of potion masters here in Britain, but across the channel there are scores of them. I know for a fact that Europe's finest resides in Portugal, we owl each other now and again to keep in touch." Tofty narrowed his eyes as he stared into Slughorn's. "Why are they really after you?"

"I don't know what..."

"Damn it Horace!" Tofty stood, enraged. "Ten students nearly died! Ten of the best and brightest were almost reduced to collateral damage because Death Eaters want you dead. Tell me the truth, or I will send you packing. Even if that means I'm sentencing you to a terrible fate, to protect these children I'll do so with a clear conscience."

Slughorn wrung his hands and looked away. "I... I know things. Please don't make me elaborate."

"You have information that he-who-must-not-be-named doesn't want known?" Tofty nearly whispered the rhetorical question. "Horace, he already wants you dead now. Why in the name of magic haven't you gone to the DMLE?"

"I don't have to explain myself..." Slughorn glanced back at Tofty, and saw iron in the headmaster's icy gaze. He could almost feel the power that the old wizard was holding back with his strained temper. He was reminded that, while not as powerful as he-who-must-not-be-named or the legendary Albus Dumbledore, Solomon Tofty was no frail old man. Living past one hundred was no great feat for a wizard, but only the most powerful did so with any kind of grace.

"No, you don't," Tofty's tone was flat and unfriendly. "But unless you do, I refuse to let you remain in Hogwarts for even one more night."

Stricken, Slughorn broke down. Crying as his shameful actions and cowardice had finally caught up to him, he haltingly told everything he knew about a young Tom Riddle.

-o-o-

Nearly tearing his hair out in frustration over the lack of progress with the war effort, Rufus Scimgeour was on edge when his secretary's voice informed him that Griselda Marchbanks was there to see him.

"Unless she can somehow help me win the war against these terrorists, send her away. I have no time for the Examination Authority." He barked in response. Subsequently, he was caught off guard when she walked into his office and sat down across from him.

"This is a message from Solomon. He believes, and I agree with him, that the information is vital for dealing with Tom Riddle." Marchbanks explained in a no-nonsense tone.

"Who the bloody hell is Tom Riddle, and why should I care about him?" Scrimgeour growled as he snatched the parchment.

"Read that, and find out." She said as she rose to leave, not disturbed by the minister's foul mood in the slightest. "Now that I have been reminded of him, I remember both his OWL and NEWT examinations clearly. An absolutely brilliant child, who wasted his potential."

-o-o-

The houses had long since grown used to Luna's seemingly random approach to mealtime sitting arrangements. Once again at the Slytherin table, Luna and Wednesday were chatting with Daphne over the merits of various runic alphabets, when Millicent sat down next to Daphne, and across from Wednesday.

"Don't let me interrupt you." Millicent said, noting that all three witches has quieted. "I just want to ask Black a question or two. I assume he'll be here soon, he always eats with you two."

"Actually, today he's at Gringotts. I don't know when he'll be back." Wednesday explained her boyfriend's absence.

"Gringotts? That's odd. Why?" Daphne asked.

"He wouldn't say." Wednesday's monotone was strained, and her eyes tightened slightly. "Only that something came up that required his presence."

Daphne frowned. "That's really odd. There's only a few things that he would need to be there in person to do... but I can't imagine that the goblins would even bother letting him know something needed his attention. They aren't exactly helpful creatures."

"My father has been in charge of Harry's account while we're in school. He sent Harry a note to meet him at Gringotts." Wednesday said in explanation.

Daphne and Millicent looked at each other, and even Luna frowned.

"What?" Wednesday demanded sharply, her eyes tightening further.

"Um, if Black gave your father custodial permission over his account, then there isn't anything that he would need to be there in person for." Millicent said carefully. "Your father can do everything for him."

"Then Harry had better have a good explanation when he gets back." Wednesday said between clenched teeth.

-o-o-

Albus Dumbledore transfigured the chair before him to be more comfortable, then sat down, not bothering to hide his irritation. "Why did you need to see me Pius? I've been keeping you apprised of the Order's movements."

"Yes, you have." Pius Thicknesse agreed. "Before we get down to it, I'd like to thank you again for delivering Lestrange to us. We haven't managed to get any useful information from that filth, but the interrogations have done wonders for morale around here. It's almost a shame that Azkaban will be secured in a few weeks, and we'll be saying goodbye to our guest. It is a definite shame that we can't rely on dementors anymore, but I'm sure the new guards will come up with ways to entertain the prisoners."

"Please spare me the details, and get to the point." Dumbledore grimaced slightly at the thought of what those interrogations entailed. He didn't even want to consider the meaning behind Thicknesse's last statement.

Minister Scrimgeour walked in, and shut the office door behind him. After a series of privacy and detection charms, he looked down at Dumbledore. "The point is, we have a task that your vigilante group may be useful for."

"If secrecy is important, may I?" Dumbledore raised his wand meaningfully before adding a few protections of his own.

"The secrecy is only because we fear the ministry has been infiltrated." Thicknesse explained. "You may tell your little order what they'll need to know."

"It is absolutely imperative that you-know-who does not find out that we have this information." Scrimgeour added, placing his palms on Thicknesse's desk, and staring at both men. "We now know how he escaped death, and what needs to be done to make sure he cannot do so again."

Tossing a few sketches onto his desk, Thicknesse picked up where the minister left off. "They're called horcruxes, the worst kind of dark magic. Our source tells us that he has six of these vile things. Each one contains a piece of his soul, and as long as one exists, he can never truly die."

Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock. "Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, and Salazar Slytherin's Locket. What... How... Are you certain that the diadem is a horcrux? No one has any idea where it is."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you recognize that locket. Our source had to explain its significance." Scrimgeour acknowledged. "They were certain that these were made into horcruxes by he-who-must-not-be-named, otherwise known as Tom..."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle..." Dumbledore interrupted, half talking to himself. "Who is your source? Are they absolutely sure?"

"We can't tell you that, and you should know better than to ask." Thicknesse admonished. "Unfortunately, our source doesn't know what the other three are, only that they too are likely priceless artifacts from the founders."

Lost in thought as he stared at the sketches, Dumbledore absentmindedly filled in the blanks. "A ring and a diary..."

"Pardon?" Scrimgeor growled as he leaned down to glare at Dumbledore. "Are you telling me you knew about these horcruxes, and what some were?"

"Only over the past few years have I been putting everything together. I haven't been certain though, it's all been guesswork." Dumbledore admitted, then sighed as he picked up the diadem sketch and continued. "I lost all of my research in an explosion, but with this new information, I may be able to continue. I hoped he had only made two, but I feared it was six. The diary has already been destroyed, but I lost my collected memories that were leading me to the ring. Perhaps your source might be able to help find it."

Dumbledore looked up from the sketch to see Thicknesse wide eyed, and Scrimgeour shaking with fury.

His face red with anger, Scrimgeor ground his teeth, and closed his eyes to compose himself, before speaking with a shaky but calm voice. "Years, you've known for years. I want very badly to lock you up with Lestrange right now. If you had shared your suspicions with myself or Madam Bones, this war may never have even started. We could have had the entire department of mysteries working alongside you to ensure Riddle never returned."

"You'll recall that no one believed me when I voiced my thoughts about Voldemort not truly being gone." Dumbledore pointed out calmly.

"We damn well would have if you bothered to let us know what a horcrux was!" Scrimgeour roared. "I don't care what I have to do to make it happen, but once this war is over, you are going to be put on trial over this. Now take those sketches, and get out! I want your merry band of followers to drop everything else, and get rid of those horcruxes whatever the cost.

After slamming the door behind Dumbledore, Scrimgeour dropped heavily into the chair across from Thicknesse. "Two... Two different wizards knew, or were pretty sure about what had really happened. If either one had just come to the DMLE... Even if they had just worked together... Damn them... Damn them both."

Thicknesse didn't say a word, he just set down a pair of glasses and a full bottle of Ogden's finest.

-o-o-

Author's note: I wrote the following bonus scenes as a tribute to the victims of the recent tragedy in Orlando. Both can be considered part of the main story, though I'm not sure exactly when they take place.

-o-o-

Bonus Scene

Almost perfect

-o-o-

It was early, and except for two men, no one else was awake. Rabastan had always been an early riser, and Asclepius had never gone to bed the night before.

"You know, I've always been a little jealous of my brother." Rabastan commented as he and Asclepius ate breakfast.

"Why's that?" The deeply scarred man asked, genuinely confused. "No offense to Rodolphus, but I don't see anything worth being jealous about there."

"Bellatrix. He really lucked out with his marriage." Rabastan stared wistfully at nothing as he went on. "She's almost perfect. Powerful, smart, beautiful, and she has a cruel streak that's almost unmatched."

nodding slowly, Asclepius set down his fork, and looked at his fellow Death Eater. "True, Mistress Bella is wonderful... I suppose I can see why you're jealous... The way you describe her though, where is she not perfect?"

Rabastan stared at his breakfast companion for a few moments, silently judging how he might respond. Shrugging, he simply said, "She's a woman."

Asclepius gave a sharp laugh and shook his head in amusement. "You're right, Mistress Bella isn't perfect. Still, we have fun playing together."

Startled by the laugh at first, Rabastan tried to figure out if the statement that followed meant what he hoped it might. He hadn't risen to the Dark Lord's inner circle by being timid; so he wet his suddenly dry lips, and decided to test the waters. "You're a lot like Bellatrix you know."

Taken aback, Asclepius looked back at Rabastan with wide eyes. "No I'm not. Mistress Bella has taught me quite a bit, but I'm still nowhere near as good as she is."

"Well, you'll get there I'm sure. Skill will come with time and practice. Your enthusiasm and drive though, that can't be taught." The older Death Eater pointed out. "You're as cruel as she is, and you're learning fast, which means you're smart. You also survived where many others wouldn't have, so you aren't weak by any measure."

Taking advantage of Asclepius' uncertain silence, Rabastan let his eyes wander across the younger man's form, and smirked. "Not to mention, you're better looking than Bellatrix ever was."

They sat, staring at each other in nervous silence, until Asclepius smiled slightly. "So, you fly for the other team then?"

Rabastan answered by tilting the other mans' face upward, and kissing him softly on the lips. "Does that answer your question?"

-o-o-

Bonus Scene

Experimentation

-o-o-

"What's wrong Leanne?" Katie asked her friend as they walked through the castle.

"Hmm? What, why do you think something's wrong?" Leanne asked after being shaken out of her musing.

"You've been zoning out a lot lately." Katie pointed out. "I've had to steer you around, or you would've walked into the wall three times now."

"Oh." The Hufflepuff blushed. "Um, well... Remember how I've been telling you stuff about Wednesday Addams?"

"Harry's girlfriend? Yeah. Why, do you think she's cute too?" Katie teased with a lopsided grin.

"No, no, definitely not. She's way too intense." Leanne denied emphatically. "But she did get me thinking about ropes and... stuff. Now I really want to, well, try it... sorta."

"Okay, so you're horny. That doesn't explain why you keep trying to walk through walls. Oh wait, I get it." Katie's smile widened as she pushed her friend playfully. "You're spending all your time thinking up fancy ways to tie up some poor boy."

Sighing, Leanne decided she may as well explain everything or Katie would start letting her imagination run wild. "No, well yes, but that's not really the big problem. All of the single guys I can think of are either not worth my time, or would probably be scared away by this sort of thing. I've gotten myself so worked up thinking about doing this stuff, and there's no one I can do it with."

Katie thought about it as they continued to slowly walk, now both lost in contemplation. After a minute or so she spoke up, this time with a more serious tone. "Well, I guess the real issue is you need someone you can trust. You wouldn't want them saying no, and then spreading it around that you like to get tied up. Besides, that stuff sounds like it could get out of control pretty easily."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Leanne agreed with another sigh. "How do I find someone I can trust like that?"

"How about we try things out then?" The older Gryffindor suggested.

Leanne looked sharply at her friend. "What? You mean with you? I don't know, that seems like a bad idea..."

"No, it's perfect for both of us." Katie disagreed, and starting ticking off reasons why on her fingers. "We're already good friends, so we can skip the getting to know you part of a relationship. You know I'll keep everything to myself no matter how things go. I'm clearly up for trying that sort of thing, or I wouldn't be suggesting this in the first place. We already hang out, so this will let me have my wild seventh year without taking up a ton of extra time. This is my last year here, so one way or another we won't see each other next year. If things work out, we can always keep in touch, but if things get too weird, well the real world beckons anyway."

"I don't know..." Leanne shook her head. "I mean, I know you joke around, but both of us are only into guys."

"If that's all you're worried about." Katie smirked as she glanced around, grabbed her friend's hand, and dragged her into a nearby broom closet. "Let's see if that's true."

Pulled completely off balance, Leanne hardly had any time to register what Katie had said before she felt a calloused hand gently cup her cheek. A pair of soft lips pressed themselves on hers, and Leanne gasped in surprise. Katie must have taken it as an invitation, because she felt the older girl's tongue slide past her lips to dance around her own.

As quickly as it started, the kiss ended, and Leanne realized that her heart was racing.

"I don't hear any complaints, does that mean we're still good?" Katie's voice whispered in the darkness.

"Can... can we try that again?" Leanne asked, both nervous and excited.

This time, Leanne felt her friends athletic body pressed up against her own as their lips met each other once more. The cold stone of the wall provided a stark contrast with the warmth of the other witch, making the contact feel even warmer and more inviting.

Almost of their own accord, Leanne's arms wrapped themselves around Katie. The chaser's lithe body offered no resistance as her hands began to explore.

All too soon, their lips separated, and Leanne whined softy, only moan as she felt kisses along her jawline. Her breathing deepened, and she shuddered when she felt Katie's tongue draw her earlobe into a playful bite.

When they separated, Leanne was breathing heavily, and she was surprised to feel an aching need. Absently, she hoped the dorm would be empty later, she really didn't want to explain why she needed to change her knickers.

"Well, Unless I'm reading the situation completely wrong, I'd say you'd be up for continuing somewhere a bit more private than a broom closet." Katie whispered into Leanne's ear, sending a shiver racing down her spine.

"Definitely." Leanne whispered back. "But where? I never figured that part out either."

"Tonight, sneak out, and meet me on the seventh floor by that tapestry with the dancing trolls. I learned about a really cool hidden room last year."

-o-o-

Author's note: I just hope I'm not being too subtle with some of the foreshadowing I do. I was a little more blunt in this chapter with some things, but only because no one commented on something I was sure would spark reviews a couple chapters back. Then again, since I know what everything I've written means, I can't really grasp what it looks like from your point of view.

To Dontblink reviewing chapter 18: The Addams family, for the most part, didn't interact with wizards until they met Harry. They knew about the magic world of course, but didn't particularly care about it. To answer your question, American wizards are no darker than British ones.

The muggles that the Addamses dealt with actually had somewhat of an advantage over wizards in handling the Addams madness. Humans have an amazing ability to be able to ignore that which we deem impossible. Most of the time, non-magic folk simply believe that the Addams family is eccentric. Wizards on the other hand have a much different definition of the impossible, and can see the Addamses for what they truly are.

To Heika reviewing chapter 18: I was under the impression that a psychopath was a type of sociopath, and I didn't think that either were necessarily genetic. I'm no expert on mental health though, so I certainly won't argue. Label Harry however you wish. I'll continue to write him as I have, regardless of what flavor crazy he should be filed under.

If there is a genetic variable that made Harry what he is, then it probably came from the Black side of the family. Neither Lily, nor James were twisted in my story.

To Gravin X reviewing chapter 18: I wasn't planning on having any animagi, but that isn't set in stone. You raise a good point though, technically Wednesday should be able to become an animagus.

To Guest reviewing chapter 7: As you've read by now in the chapter 8 author's notes, I realize that my concerns were unfounded.

You've done an excellent job of capturing the essence of my Dumbledore's rationale. He knows that he has done terrible things, but he feels justified in the face of what he believes could have been. In a sense, he feels that Harry as he is now, vindicates his actions.

To Spuffylover19 reviewing chapter 18: I'm glad you like the thestral patronus. If nothing else, I think it's a novel idea, especially how it can be invisible like a 'real' thestral.

I always enjoy reading reviews, encouraging reviewing is the main reason why I try to respond to each one.

To Guest reviewing chapter 18: Possessive Harry: amusing to watch, not so amusing to be threatened by.

From Wednesday's point of view, Hufflepuff is woefully filled with victims. She's doing her best to get rid of that behavior. After all, your house is your family.

Ron's fate turned out so much better than I thought it would, I'm glad I was convinced to write it out.

To Willow the Wisp reviewing chapter 18: Anything is possible, we'll see what happens.


	20. Halloween is never simple

Warning: Avert your eyes! There's a sex scene hidden a little more than halfway through this chapter. No, I don't know how you'll read the rest of the chapter while looking away, but I'm sure you'll figure something out.

Author's note: This one is nearly twice the size of a normal chapter. I could have broken it up, but I think it works better all together.

As always, thank you to everyone for reading my story, and special thanks for those who review. Whether you love it, hate it, or couldn't care less, let me know what you think.

-o-o-

Chapter 20

Halloween is never simple.

-o-o-

"Where is Harry? I could have sworn he was right behind me." Neville wondered out loud when Luna and Wednesday sat across from him, and Harry was nowhere to be seen.

"He said he had something that he needed to work on." Wednesday answered.

"Did he have a good explanation?" Luna asked as she held out Thing, who grabbed a pot of jam for her.

"Explanation?" Katie looked up from the essay she was muddling through. "Did my captain land himself in some hot water?"

"He won't let me know why he went to Gringotts yesterday, but I'm starting to think he used his outing to get me a gift of some kind." Although her face showed no emotion, it seemed she was smugly pleased. "Halloween is coming soon, so I think he'll give it to me then. I'll have to find a way to get him something for the occasion as well."

Neville winced. "Uh, I don't know about the way Harry is now, but Halloween isn't a day he really celebrated before. His parents were murdered on Halloween."

Katie dropped her fork, and looked at Neville with her mouth agape. "How did that never occur to me? Merlin, it's no wonder he never... Okay yeah, I feel really bad now."

"I didn't know that Voldemort killed Harry's parents on Halloween. Now I really have to get him something good; I had no idea it was such an important day to him." Wednesday held a slender finger to her lips as she tried to think of a suitable gift.

-o-o-

"Your new pet is a wonder Wednesday. These webs make the whole room so much less pleasant." Professor Frump admired how the strong webs made drawing the blackout curtains of her classroom extremely difficult. "What did you say it's name was again?"

"I named her Lavinia. With any luck, some day she'll live up to her name." Wednesday affectionately scratched the acromantula behind its eyes. "What do you think would make a good gift Grandmama? It will be our first Halloween together, and I want to do something special for Harry."

"How about a séance?" Professor Frump suggested. "It might be nice to hear from his godfather, and then we could thank him for leaving Harry such a broken down home filled with vermin."

Wednesday thought for a moment, as she ran her hand across one of the crystal balls. "Do you think you could reach his parents as well? They died on Halloween, so that should help right?"

The old crone cackled. "Why not? A cozy little family reunion for your boyfriend. You'll need to find four more people though, I'm going to need a full circle of seven."

"Hmm. I think I can manage that without any trouble." The faintest hint of a smile flickered across Wednesday's face.

Pointing a wizened finger at her granddaughter, Professor Frump clarified. "They have to be willing. It won't work if you force them to come."

"Fine." Wednesday acquiesced. "A little trouble then, but I still should be able to do it."

"Remind me on the thirtieth, I'll need a day to make sure everything is set up for Halloween night." Professor Frump said before shooing Wednesday away. "Now leave, unless you want to help me teach my next lesson."

"No, I'll leave the third years to you." Wednesday opened her outer robes, and helped Lavinia crawl inside. The bulky nature of the robes let Wednesday transport her illegal pet with relative ease. The only way someone would be able to tell that she was hiding a massive spider was by touch, and nobody touched Wednesday Addams unless she allowed it.

-o-o-

Wednesday found Millicent in the library, and sat down next to the large girl. "Would you be interested in helping me with a surprise for Harry? I'd ask one of my roommates, but I don't believe they are open minded enough... yet."

Startled, Millicent looked up from her reading. "Open minded enough, what do you mean?"

"You're a smart girl, I'm sure you can guess." Wednesday waited for a response with unblinking eyes focused on Millicent.

"Yeah, I can guess. Whatever it is would probably offend your housemates' sensibilities, and since I'm a slytherin, you think I'll be fine with it." Millicent wondered if she was getting in too deep with her attempts to befriend the pale Hufflepuff, Draco had warned that Addams was dangerous. "I'm not agreeing to anything, without knowing what I'm agreeing to do."

"It's just a séance." Wednesday assured the Slytherin girl. "You won't have to do anything but hold hands with two others."

Millicent laughed, softly so as not to call down the wrath of Madam Pince. "You're joking right? That's just a ritual that muggles made up. Poltergeists will occasionally go to those, and rattle stuff to make the idiots think they've actually contacted the dead."

Wednesday raised her eyebrow, and looked over to where the Grey Lady was leading a first year Ravenclaw through the stacks. "Considering how common ghosts are here, you British have a surprisingly narrow understanding of necromancy. My family has been speaking with its dead for generations. Regardless, you don't really have to believe. Just keep an open mind, and let the magic flow through you during the ritual."

-o-o-

"Are you sure this is where one of those things is hidden?" Tonks asked Dumbledore skeptically.

"Sure? No, we cannot be sure until we go inside, but I have reason to believe so." Dumbledore took a confident step across the slick rocks that led to the mouth of the island cave.

Dumbledore was of two minds regarding the horcrux hunt he was leading. Thanks to the ministry's unknown source, he was able to continue his research even without his memory collection. His major regret though, was that so many knew of the foul creations. A small group of Order members composed of Tonks, Diggle, and Vance, were accompanying him in his search of the island where he was certain that a very young Tom Riddle had murdered some poor muggle child.

In an effort to take as much of the burden upon himself as he could, Dumbledore paid the blood sacrifice before the others caught up to him, and did not bring it to their attention. Instead, he moved onward into the cave's inner chamber.

The majority of the chamber was filled with a stagnant lake. Illuminated by a faint green light, a small island was visible in the center of the ominous body of water. The dark magic surrounding them felt oppressive, the air itself seemed saturated with ill intent. "Oh dear, this could prove difficult."

"Well, we didn't really expect it to be easy now. What's the problem?" Emmeline asked, while keeping a vigilant eye out for any danger.

Before answering, Dumbledore grasped an invisible chain, removed the invisibility, and by pulling the chain, produced a tiny wooden boat from the lake's murky depths. "It is as I feared. It seems that Voldemort only intended to allow one wizard across this lake. The boat is enchanted to sink itself if more than one attempts to use it, and the lake holds dangers that will most likely activate if we try to cross by any other means."

"That means that whatever protections are on that Island, probably require at least two people to bypass." Tonks guessed, thinking that the boat looked too small to accommodate two of them anyway, let alone all four. "Think we can just take turns getting across?"

"I doubt it." Emmeline shook her head after studying the chain that was now coiled on the ground. "I'll bet anything that the boat will only move with a wizard in it, or by being pulled with this chain, and the chain is only a few yards long."

While the three older members of the order pondered a way around the problem, Tonks simply shook her head. Her dad was right, if an answer was obvious, chances were a pure-blood or a half-blood would spend hours trying to see it. It takes a muggle upbringing to solve simple problems. Thankfully, though she would never admit it, Tonks had been taking her mothers advice, and had making an effort to use her brain more often. "So we make the chain longer. I'll go across first, I'm the auror after all."

Double checking that extending the chain wouldn't set off any traps, Tonks began doubling the chain until it would easily reach the island. "There. I'll go across, then the rest of you can follow once I get there."

"My dear, while I do not doubt your prowess, allow me to take the lead." Dumbledore objected as he made to step into the boat.

Tonks took a handful of Dumbledore's robes, and pulled him back. "I'm going to have to insist sir. The Order answers to the DMLE now, which means that I'll have to answer to Pius if anything goes wrong."

Considering that Tonks' plan worked, the minor power struggle didn't affect anything, and all four made it to the island safely. Unfortunately, at the island an even bigger argument broke out once they learned that the potion protecting Salazar Slytherin's amulet must be drunk.

Eventually, Dedalus Diggle won the dubious honor by pointing out that he was the least useful member out of the four of them. Should something go wrong, and the potion wasn't as non-lethal as they believed, he felt he was an acceptable loss. The real reason why he put his foot down and insisted, was that he felt incredibly guilty that he was the only fieldable Order member who had not been injured in some way. As he took his first gulp of the foul concoction, his eyes were on Emmeline, who had been hospitalized because she took a curse meant for him. It was his turn to take one for the team.

Upon swallowing the potion, Dedalus began shaking, but he managed to force himself to drink a second gobletful before collapsing to the ground and crying. The crystal goblet clattered to the ground, and he started whimpering.

Dumbledore reached for the goblet, to take the remaining burden upon himself, but Tonks was faster, and filled the goblet a third time. "I'll do it, I won't make either of you torture the poor man."

Ignoring objections from both Dumbledore and Emmeline, and with grim determination, Tonks forced Dedalus to drink again and again. Each mouthful caused the weeping man to crumble further, and by the last gobletful, he was begging for mercy with such intensity, that Tonks almost took the last drink herself to spare him.

Dumbledore pulled the locket free from the now dry basin. "We must make our escape quickly now, and bring Dadelus to Saint Mungo's immediately. Nymphadora, take the lead once more, we'll send Dedalus after you, and follow as soon as we can."

The plan seemed sound at first, but as soon as Dedalus was alone in the boat, the effects of the potion drove him to try to drink the lake water. A rotting hand shot out of the lake, and pulled the delirious man into the deadly water. At the same time, inferi began rising out of the lake, and homed in on the other three.

Swearing sulfurously, Tonks began blowing back the horde of dark creatures with bursts of fire from her wand. All the while she thought furiously, trying to think of a way to reach Dedalus. She knew he was already dead, but she had to try.

A massive whirlwind of fire spiraled out from the island, incinerated the inferi, and forcing Tonks to shield herself from the intense heat. When the flames died down, she saw Dumbledore standing alone on the island, with the boat heading her way.

Emmeline was out cold, and Tonks had to pull her out of the boat, taking care not to aggravate the obvious wound on her leg where an inferius must have bitten her. A large chunk of flesh was missing, and dumbledore's field dressing of the wound was acceptable at best. A hurried trip to Saint Mungo's was definitely still needed.

Tonks looked to Dumbledore who was pulling the boat back to him. The aged wizard nodded to her, and called across the water. "Go, I will be right behind you."

Gathering up Emmeline, Tonks turned to find the exit conspicuously absent. Seeing nothing but a rock wall, there was seemingly no way out. By the time she had managed to set Emmaline down, and use her wand to find a way through, Dumbledore had caught up with them.

"A blood sacrifice is required" He said simply, pressing a bleeding hand against the stones.

The exit appeared, and Tonks ran through with Emmaline, apparating away as soon as she was clear of the jinx preventing such an escape.

-o-o-

"Black, a word please?" Draco asked as Charms let out. "I have a favor to ask."

"If it's quick, Hermione and I have a project we're working on." Harry said while gathering up his notes.

Draco gave a short nod in acknowledgment. "I need a pet snake. You're a parselmouth, so you should be able to find me one that won't mind being carried around all day long."

Giving a short laugh, Harry drew back his sleeve to reveal his own pet, happily coiled around his forearm. "Like The Ambassador here? No problem, I'm going to skip lunch today, but I can bring you a new friend at dinner. Why do you want a real snake anyway? I know you can just summon one easily enough."

"Need one. I don't want a snake, I need one." Draco insisted. "I've been informed that Parkinson is ironically terrified of our house totem. If I have a pet snake, then she'll finally be forced to leave me alone."

Harry could only blink at that revelation. "She's afraid of snakes? I can't decide if that's funny or sad. Don't worry Draco, I'll find you a nice new friend to scare away the icky witch... Huh... Is that an issue? Are you not into witches?"

"I like witches just fine Black. Parkinson is just a simpering bootlicker who sees me as her ticket to power." Draco dismissed the idea out of hand.

"If you prefer blokes, you don't have to pretend." Harry assured the blond slytherin, putting his hand on the other boy's shoulder. "I'd be disappointed that you can't help repopulate the family, but as your aunt said, 'The heart wants what it wants.'

"I said I like witches. Okay? I just don't like Parkinson." Keeping his natural reactions in check, Draco brushed away Harry's hand, instead of knocking it off him forcefully. "Go do whatever it is you have to with the mu... Granger."

-o-o-

Black hadn't shown up to dinner, and when Draco had asked the Addams girl where he was, she was equally annoyed with his absence. When he let slip that Black was with Granger the last time he saw him, Draco was worried that her sudden shift from annoyance to anger would end poorly for him. Luckily, it seemed that she believed in the phrase 'don't kill the messenger.'

Draco couldn't care less what Black was doing with the mud-blood, he was smart enough to stay far away from that mess. Still, now that he had an easy way to get rid of Parkinson, he was beyond eager to receive the promised pet snake. He hoped that whatever stupidity Black was up to would be taken care of before curfew, he had an after hours patrol with Parkinson, and was really hoping to spend it without the witch trying to drape herself all over him.

From a blood purity perspective, Parkinson was a fine witch indeed, but that was her only positive quality. After her disastrous attempt to 'show him how much she loved him' during their fourth year, Draco honestly considered turning to wizards. His appreciation for the female form, and his complete disinterest in the male one, made him decide that the problem was Parkinson, and not witches in general.

-o-o-

"You know, we're supposed to be looking for students trying to be a little too affectionate." Draco drawled as he pulled his hand away from Parkinson's for the third time. "It kind of sends the wrong message if we're tangled up together don't you think?"

"You know the rules don't apply to us Draco. It's not often we're paired together this late, we should really take advantage of it." Parkinson smiled coquettishly, and stared at him, eyes filled with desire.

"I'll pass." Draco said dryly as he continued to go through the motions of opening closet and classroom doors.

"Come on in Draco, bring Pansy too." A familiar voice spoke from the gloom of the old classroom that Draco had just opened.

After recovering from being startled, Draco recognized the voice as Blacks, and suppressed a smile as he entered the room, lit wand held high, and motioning Parkinson to follow.

Black was sitting at the large teachers desk at the far end of the room, and was folding up a piece of parchment as he lit several candles with his wand. "Come, come. Take a seat, both of you."

"What are you doing out of bounds Po..." She sighed in annoyance as she remembered the repeated insistence that Potter was Black now. "...Black? You know we're going to give you detention right?"

As Parkinson was focused on Black, Draco closed the door. "Actually Parkinson, Black and I have business. I asked him to procure me a pet, and this was the best time for him to deliver."

"A pet? Draco you already have your owl, what kind of pet did you want?" A thought occurred to her, and she smiled knowingly. "You're getting me a gift aren't you? Aww, Draco you're a sweetheart."

"No, it's for me, but you're welcome to play with it I suppose." This was it, Draco only hoped that Bulstrode hadn't steered him wrong. "I'm a true Slytherin, and it's only fitting that I have an appropriate pet to show that. Only among friends of course, snakes have such a poor reputation nowadays."

Before Parkinson could object, Black set his arm on the desk, and hissed softly. Eighteen inches of scaly predator slithered out from within his robes, and coiled itself between the candles that had been lit. The snake lifted its head and looked right into Draco's eyes, studying him.

Draco was almost disappointed that Parkinson hadn't screamed, but she was visibly pale, and backing away from both the desk and him. She was clearly afraid, and that was exactly what he was hoping for.

"This little guy needed a new home anyway." Black commented as he released a fat mouse. The snake darted immediately, sank its fangs into the rodent, and slowly began to swallow it, leaving a small splash of blood. "Most of my pets are native to India, but this one says he's from China. They tolerate him, but he's not really welcome."

Finding her voice, Parkinson started pleading. "Draco, you don't really want a snake for a pet, that's crazy. Besides, it's against the rules. You don't want to get in trouble."

Like he'd seen Black do before, Draco pulled back his sleeve, and held out his arm to the snake. The creature looked back toward Black, who hissed and nodded, and then slowly coiled itself around Draco's forearm. "You said yourself that the rules don't apply to us. I think this is the perfect pet for me. Want to get a closer look?"

When Draco stepped toward Parkinson, she shrieked and threw a shield up in front of her. "Get that thing away from me!"

Draco felt he could have kissed Bulstrode as Parkinson ran out the door. Instead, he lifted his arm to look at the reptile around his arm. "Imagine, her being so frightened of you. I'll bet your completely harmless, aren't you?"

"Oh don't worry, he's fairly deadly." Black corrected in a reassuring tone. "He says he killed a man before he was captured, and sold to Sapera Addams."

Looking up sharply, Draco gulped. He really should have known better.

-o-o-

The rhythmic sound of a whetstone sliding across steel filled the dorm room as Wednesday honed the edges of her dagger. Staring into the distance, she had long since passed the point where her weapon was sharp, and was fast approaching a razor's edge.

Susan walked in unnoticed, and watched Wednesday uneasily for a moment before making her presence known. "Um, why don't you just get a knife enchanted to be ever sharp?" She couldn't help but flinch when Wednesday turned her head, and Susan found the pale girl's intense gaze focused on her.

"If I do it myself, then I know I can trust the edge." Wednesday answered with a dispassionate tone that contrasted with her fierce glare. "Besides, it's relaxing."

"You don't look very relaxed. What's wrong?" Susan asked tentatively. "If you don't mind talking about it that is."

For a few tense seconds, the only sound was that of the whetstone scraping along an already insanely sharp blade.

"Harry has been... distant lately." Wednesday's already pale knuckles turned pure white as she tightened her grip. "He's been spending a lot of time with Granger as well."

The anger seething beneath Wednesday's calm exterior suddenly made a great deal of sense. Susan carefully tried to calm her friend down before she did something she would regret. "I'm sure there's a good explanation. I can't imagine that Harry would cheat on you. Besides, those two are just friends. They've always been real close, but both have always insisted that they don't see each other that way."

"We'll see. I've let him dodge me enough. Tomorrow morning he had better explain himself." Wednesday said with narrowing eyes while turning to look off into the distance once more.

Glancing down at the overly sharp dagger, Susan looked at Wednesday with a half smile, and pointed to the weapon. "I'd be careful saying stuff like that, when you're holding something like that. It sounds like you're planning to kill him."

-o-o-

Halloween was normally a day to look forward to, but Wednesday was still in a foul mood when she woke. She took her time getting ready for the day, composing herself as she tried to think up acceptable reasons for Harry's behavior. By the time she was dressed, only Leanne was still in the room.

Unaware of Wednesday's mood, Leanne walked over to Wednesday as the pale girl moved various items from her trunk to her robes. Rolling her sleeves back, Leanne displayed her wrists. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Wednesday looked at the slight rope burns on Leanne's wrists, and raised her eyebrow. "Use a coarser rope next time. Tie it tighter, and you should break the skin too."

"What? No. I mean how do I avoid the rope burns altogether?" Leanne shook her head. She'd forgotten how rough Wednesday supposedly liked it.

"Why would you want to do that?" Wednesday asked in genuine confusion, for a moment shocked out of her bad mood.

"Right, what was I thinking... You know what, nevermind. I'll see if I can find a book or something." Wednesday had been a font of information at first, but anything regarding being gentle or safe, and the girl was clueless. Leanne figured that Wednesday and Harry must both have one heck of a pain threshold, some of the things she'd tried so far could really hurt. Granted, some of that pain felt really good at the time... She hadn't been expecting that.

-o-o-

Once again, Harry was nowhere to be seen at breakfast. What made matters worse, was that Granger was also conspicuously absent. Wednesday waited as long as she could, but neither one showed up. Murderous thoughts filled her head as she made her way through the empty halls on her way out of the castle. Hagrid's class was next, and she wondered if whatever creature they were to study next, would be useful for punishing Harry and his new playmate. She was so caught up in her visions of mangled bodies, that she didn't notice that she wasn't alone until a hand lightly touched her shoulder.

Acting on instinct she spun around, batted the hand away, and slammed whoever it was into the wall. Wednesday's eyes narrowed into slits as she realized she had pinned Granger to the rough stones. "I thought you were supposed to be smart. Did you really think you could steal my Harry and live?"

"Steal Harry?"

The look of confusion gave Wednesday pause, and the laughter that followed almost had her letting up on the pressure that was all but crushing the Gryffindor witch.

"That's almost as ridiculous as when Ronald thought I fancied him." Despite the situation she was in, Hermione smiled wistfully. "I'll admit, there was a time when I thought about Harry like that, but he's never been interested in me. I gave up on him years ago."

Wednesday's gaze bored into Hermione's eyes, but she saw nothing but honesty in the chocolate orbs. "Then explain why you two have been sneaking off together every chance you get."

"I've been helping him with a surprise for you. He tried doing it himself, but his spellwork wasn't quite up to what he needed done." Hermione explained calmly. "We just finished, and he sent me to get you. You should go to Myrtle's bathroom. Trust me, you're going to like the surprise."

Debating on whether or not she should lash out at Granger anyway, Wednesday finally relented, and let the Gryffindor go. Pugsley was the impulsive one, she was the calculating one. Besides, if Granger was lying, she could hunt her down later. A well thought out revenge would be more enjoyable than a spur of the moment murder anyway.

Turning away without saying another word, Wednesday walked at a brisk pace. Her thoughts focused on how she would confront Harry, and what kind of punishments would be appropriate if his surprise wasn't acceptable. At this point, it would have to be pretty spectacular.

-o-o-

Walking with purpose, Wednesday swiftly made her way toward the weeping dead girl's haunt. Myrtle was hovering just outside her bathroom, which was odd, and when the ghost noticed Wednesday approaching, she vanished through the door.

Wednesday nearly broke the door storming into the bathroom, only to find it empty. Neither Harry nor Myrtle were there, but the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was wide open, inviting Wednesday to descend. As soon as she crossed the threshold, the portal sealed itself behind her, and a line of torches lit to guide her path.

"I know you've been upset with me lately." Harry said as he stepped into view. "I really wanted to surprise you, and it's taken me a lot longer than I thought to get everything ready."

"And Granger's been doing what exactly?" Wednesday said coldly, not yet ready to forgive Harry for disappearing so often with the bushy-haired witch.

"Hermione? You'll see in a second." He produced a Phial with a swirling violet liquid inside. "She also brewed this for me. Come on, let's go say 'hi' to Peter."

Her curiosity was just enough to prevent her patience from running out, and she followed Harry into main chamber. Even so, her hand found its way around the hilt of her dagger.

The wooden post that had been the centerpiece for the chamber was gone, and in its place a simple wooden chair. In addition, Harry's snakes were nowhere to be seen, but Wednesday could hear them slithering around the edges of the large room.

Strapped to the chair, dressed in clean robes, was Peter Pettigrew. The Animagus was staring at the floor, letting his head hang limp. The slight rise and fall of his shoulders was the only indication that he was still alive. A damp stain on the stones showed that he'd been crying

Almost gently, Harry lifted Peter's head up, and forced him to drink the potion that he'd displayed earlier. "This should prevent him from turning into a rat for an hour or two. Not very useful most of the time, but..."

Harry walked over to Wednesday and gave an out of place nervous smile. "I think it's time to finally kill him."

She was expecting that their toy would break before long, so Harry's whispered announcement wasn't surprising; however, the nervousness that he projected was completely out of place. As far as surprises go, Wednesday was thoroughly disappointed. Watching Harry kill Pettigrew would be nice, but it wouldn't come close to making up for his recent behavior.

In response to Wednesday's unimpressed stare, Harry licked his lips and took her free hand in both of his. "I... I want you to do it. I want you to feel what it's like."

That thought hadn't even occurred to Wednesday, and her eyes widened in shock. Why on Earth would Harry be giving up his revenge kill? "You're giving me his death?"

"Yes, and before you ask, I'm absolutely sure." He nodded and squeezed her hand gently. "We even healed Peter. Thanks to Hermione, he's practically in perfect shape. That's what we've been doing in secret."

The continuously building tension slowly vanished, and relief flooded through the Addams girl. Wednesday let her grip relax, and her dagger fell back into the depths of her robes. She still had a myriad of of questions running through her mind, but the worst of her fears were alleviated. Harry was not cheating on her, he just hadn't realizing what his actions looked like to her. She almost laughed as she remembered her mother telling her that no matter how smart a boy seemed to be, men were rather stupid creatures. Now she understood what that meant.

She let herself be led over to the doomed man. Pettigrew looked up, and whimpered, which brought a sadistic smile to Wednesday's face. She leaned over to look him in the eyes, her smile widening as fresh tears began to form.

Giving Harry one last chance to change his mind, Wednesday looked over at her boyfriend, silently asking if he was certain. He smiled and nodded in response, and stepped back to give her whatever room she might need.

Different manners of execution flew through her mind, but almost immediately she settles on something simple, something pure and satisfying. She tightly gripped Pettigrew's freshly washed hair, and stared deeply into his terrified eyes. "I'm going to kill you now. Enjoy your last few moments before you slip into sweet oblivion."

Pettigrew started begging, pleading for his life. Words spilled out of his mouth so fast that he was soon incomprehensible, only to be cut off as slender hands wrapped around his throat, and slowly applied pressure.

As Wednesday's grip steadily tightened, Pettigrew thrashed wildly in a futile attempt to save himself. She watched in fascination as her victim's eyes bulged, and his face turned purple once she had cut off his breathing entirely. His struggling grew weaker, until it stopped completely, and he lost consciousness. Maintaining her hold, she licked her lips, and held her breath. She could see the light fade from his still open eyes, and she let out a trembling breath as she felt his life escape. In an instant, a man transformed into a corpse in her bare hands.

"That was spectacular." Wednesday whispered to herself. Harry had definitely earned her forgiveness.

-o-o-

"I'm done. I'm quitting the Order, and I suggest you get everyone else to do the same." Tonks growled at her mentor, Alastor Moody. The metamorphmagus' hair was glowing red, and at times looked like it was about to burst into flames. "Dumbledore is going to get us all killed. Dedalus was probably dead already, but after Dumbledore flash fried the whole cave, he was definitely gone. If the inferi hadn't already dismembered him, Dumbledore's pyrotechnics boiled him for sure."

"Calm down, I'm not going to stop you kid. Hell, at this point I'm going to encourage you. You can do more good as an auror than an Order member." Moody pulled out his hip flask and tossed it to the enraged witch. "Have some firewhiskey, and tell me how Vance is doing."

"She's not going to make it. They're still trying, but it took too long to get her to the hospital. Whichever infurius managed to bite her was infected with something really nasty." She took a long pull from the flask, shook it, and then drained it completely. "Dumbledore might not have killed Dedalus, but he's definitely responsible for Emmeline. The entrance to the inner cave would only open if you bled on it. Instead of telling us, he just took care of it, and we didn't even know that the door was there. I just thought it was a natural opening... That's what it looked like."

Tonks gripped Moody's flask hard enough that it began to crumple. "If I had known, I could have gotten Emmeline to Saint Mungo's fast enough. I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking, but by not telling us about the damn door, he killed Emmeline. Her blood is on his hands."

Moody ignored his flask's slow demise, he was going to get a new one anyway. "I'll see if I can't knock some sense into Albus. Either way, I'll stick around for a while longer. I'll keep a closer eye on things, and try to curb the worst of his well-meaning mistakes.

-o-o-

"It feels amazing doesn't it?" Harry softy asked as Wednesday released her grip, and let Pettigrew's head fall limp.

Turning to answer, Wednesday eyes widened, and her mouth fell open in shock. Kneeling on the stone floor, Harry held out a small open box with a silver ring that displayed a polished onyx. The black oval stone glinted in the torchlight.

"Marry me?" Harry asked simply, his nervousness gone as he watched her expectantly.

Taking a few shaky steps forward, Wednesday cupped his face and leaned down. Kissing him passionately, she pulled him to his feet.

"Yes." She whispered softly.

Smiling joyfully, he took her hand, and slid the ring onto her slender finger. She gasped in surprise as she felt a sharp pain, and the onyx shimmered blood red for an instant.

"This ring is a Black family heirloom." Harry explained with a grin. "It's bonded to you now, and will only come off once you've died. The last woman to wear it was my many generations back grandmother, Serena Black née Crouch. She attempted to leave her husband, and the ring took her life when she tried to remove it forcefully.

Wednesday held her hand up to admire the ring, and looked at Harry, her eyes smoldering with desire. "I had no idea you could be so romantic."

Reaching deep into her robes, Wednesday brought out a set of wrought iron shackles. "I was planning on using these to punish you." She let them fall to the ground with a loud clatter. "I have other plans now."

Slowly, Wednesday undressed herself, letting her robes pool around her feet. By the time she unfastened her brassiere, she was breathing heavily, and as she stepped out of her knickers, her arousal was obvious. Standing in front of her fiancé wearing only her engagement ring, she all but begged, "You've given me death, and you've shackled me to you. Now, make this day perfect. I want you to have your way with me. Hurt me Harry. Show me no mercy. Make me feel fear."

Wasting no breath on words, Harry roughly kissed her as he firmly grasped her arms. Shoving her with all his strength, he sent her sprawling backward to land hard on the cold stones. He then drew his wand, and charmed the shackles that she had dropped to capture her limbs. Securing her by using sticking charms on the chains, she was soon bound and displayed before him.

Wednesday's arms were stretched out above her head, and her legs were spread wide. The chains were taut, and she could already feel her limbs begin to ache from the stress. Having hardly any time to enjoy the sensation, she felt rough calloused hands run over her body, and Harry entered her field of vision. He had an evil smirk, and hell's fire danced within his emerald eyes.

The first bite caught her off guard, and she couldn't stop her cry of pleasure as she felt his teeth sink into her breast, just above the nipple. By the time he had worked his way down to her thighs, she felt burning pain all over her body from where his teeth had marred her alabaster flesh. When he bit her inner thigh deeply enough to draw blood, she shuddered and cried out with a small orgasm.

She wasn't sure when he had disrobed, but she could feel the warmth of his skin pressed against her own nudity as he suddenly kissed her, letting her taste her own blood.

His warm breath tickled her ear as he whispered his intention to bring her to the brink of death as he brought her to the heights of pleasure. With that announcement, she felt the chains holding her go slack. The ones bound to her wrists swiftly moved in the opposite direction, so that her arms were pointing down, and were pinned underneath her. The chains attached to her ankle irons then slide across her calves, wrapped around her knees, and tightened once more. With her knees up in the air, her legs were now folded and held tight by the chains that now were secured to the floor above her head.

She felt his hands grip her knees as he joined with her. Moving slowly, he leaned over her, and rested his hands on her shoulders. The heat between her legs steadily grew as he picked up speed, but before she found release, his hands moved once more. Slowly cutting off her air, his hands were wrapped around her throat, and squeezing tighter with each passing moment.

Even as her vision began to dim, she climaxed forcefully. Her whole body quivered, and she gasped for air as Harry relaxed his grip on her neck. He had yet to find his own release, and was continuing to move within her. Wave after wave of increasingly painful pleasure crashed over her as he continued to relentlessly have his way with her.

When she was sure she would go mad, she heard him call out her name as she felt him climax. Breathing rapidly, he lowered himself to the ground next to her, and looked into her half glazed eyes.

"I love you Wednesday Addams, you're mine, now and forever." Harry said as his eyes slowly closed.

As Wednesday began to regain control of her body, she realized the chains still held her tight. Straining against her bonds, she managed to dislocate her thumbs, and pull her hands free. Harry's words echoing in her mind, there was something she wanted... no, needed to do now.

-o-o-

"You don't need to say anything Alastor." Dumbledore raised a hand wearily. "The loss of Dedalus and Emmeline weigh heavily on my heart."

"Tonks has left the Order because of the crap you pulled Albus. I don't blame her in the slightest." The grizzled ex-auror adjusted his eyepatch, and stared at his old friend with his remaining eye. "let's see it then,where's the bloody piece of filth that was worth losing Diggle and Vance?"

Dumbledore reached into his desk, and withdrew a small jewelry box. "I have yet to examine it, and was planning on taking it to the ministry tomorrow. Rufus insists on being present when we destroy it."

Moody snatched the box, and cracked it open. "I was expecting the blasted thing to reek of dark magic, it just looks like an ugly piece of jewelry. Are you sure this thing isn't a decoy?"

"Voldemort would have been completely confident that his horcrux was safe." Dumbledore explained, with confidence of his own. "He would not have used a decoy."

"Albus, this might not be a decoy, but it is fake." Moody said with a steady voice, then threw the locket across the room, and slammed a piece of parchment onto the desk.

Shaken by his old friend's outburst, Dumbledore picked up the parchment and read its message. "R. A. B... I can think of a small number of wizards who might be responsible for this."

"And I can probably think of several more, a few witches too." Moody's tone had shifted, it was low and unfriendly. "Vance and Diggle died for a fake. You've made too many mistakes that have cost us too much. Albus, it's time for you to step down."

"I... I am not perfect Alastor, but who is more qualified? You and your paranoia are not suited to lead in my stead." Dumbledore struggled internally, the acknowledgment of his mistakes against his vanity. Despite the cost of his failures, his perception of reality could not see anyone more able to lead the light than himself.

"Of course I'm no bloody leader. I belong in the thick of things dammit, it's why I always turned down promotions. Scrimgeour's not perfect by any means either, but he's got a good head on his shoulders, and he listens to those who know more than him. Dissolve the Order Albus. It's time to work with the ministry while we still have one."

"It's not that simple. By Rufus' own admission, the ministry has been infiltrated, and while he is a decent person deep down, Rufus has no compassion. He treads dangerously close to the dark in his pursuit of justice."

"There is no good answer Albus, but things are too far gone to be worried about light and dark right now. Besides, have you already forgotten all of the dark things you've done? You're so caught up in the legend of Albus the almighty Dumbledore, that you've forgotten that you're just another wizard." Spittle was beginning to fly as Moody's rant picked up steam. "You're powerful and smart, but you are not bloody Merlin! Your way is not the only way, or even the best. Now shut down the Order, or I'll shut it down for you."

A loud bang was heard throughout the Order's headquarters as Moody slammed the door. Left alone in his makeshift office, Dumbledore thought furiously about how to salvage the situation. His thoughts kept returning to Harry, everything started falling apart when the boy reverted. surely if he could once more regain control of the one destined to defeat Voldemort, everything else would fall back into place.

-o-o-

Harry awoke with a start, as he felt a sharp pain in his thigh. An attempt to sit up was thwarted by the same chains that he'd left Wednesday in.

"Stay still." Wednesday ordered from between his legs. "You don't want to ruin your new scars."

Keeping his leg still, he lifted his head to see what was going on. As he felt her carve the top of his left thigh, he saw that she had yet to clothe herself. Her pert breasts captured his attention as they moved along with each slice that she added.

Sitting upright, Wednesday carefully licked her dagger clean. "There. 'Property of Wednesday,' carved neatly in your leg, marking you as mine. The best part is the scar will never fade. Mother taught me how to curse a blade for special occasions. It dulls the edge quite a bit, but I think the end result is worth it."

Harry both laughed and winced at the image that popped into his mind. "Does that mean your father has a 'Property of Morticia' on his leg?"

"Maybe, I don't know. I do know that he's carved her initials into his own leg at least half a dozen times since they first started dating." She stood up, and stretched. "We've been down here all morning, and I don't know about you, but I'm hungry enough to eat a unicorn."

"Considering I didn't eat breakfast, lunch sounds like a real good idea. Just let me up, and we can get dressed and go." Harry agreed, then jingled his chains to point out that he was still trapped.

"You left me chained up, I'm sure you can figure it out." Picking up her clothes, Wednesday left Harry as she walked toward the exit.

Too busy staring at her arse, it took him a moment to register that she had stranded him. Noticing that his robes and wand were far out of reach, he pondered how he was going to escape.

-o-o-

One of the first to arrive at the Great Hall, Wednesday sat at the Hufflepuff table, figuring that Luna could join her as easily as she and Harry joined the Blonde Ravenclaw each meal. Knowing that her housemates would make a big deal about nothing, she had taken the time to cut a wide strip of cloth to use as a choker.

As Wednesday sat down, Susan noted that Harry was nowhere in sight. "Oh no, was Harry's explanation not good enough?"

Without changing her expression, or saying a word, Wednesday held out her hand to display her ring.

Eyes wide, Susan grabbed the outstretched hand, pulling it closer to examine the engagement ring. "Merlin, I knew you two were close, but he proposed already?"

"Already? We've been together for months now, how long of a courtship do you think I'd tolerate?" Wednesday replied, letting her hand be passed around among the other girls. "Whether he proposed or not, he would be my husband by year's end. Either that, or a corpse."

Susan coughed, nearly choking on her drink. "You really need to stop saying stuff like that. One of these days, someone is going to take you seriously."

Before Wednesday could explain that she was always serious, Leanne joked about Harry's absence with a smirk. "Where is Harry anyway? Or is he all tied up at the moment? Thick ropes I'm sure."

"Of course not Leanne, don't be ridiculous. Chains are much more effective than ropes." Wednesday explained as she reclaimed her hand, and began plating food.

"Until I figure out how to reach my wand, then there isn't much of a difference." Harry pointed out as he rested his hand on Wednesday's shoulder, and ran his thumb along her choker, making sure to apply pressure where he knew a bite mark was.

Wednesday leaned into the painful massage, and closed her eyes. "Mmm, I was wondering how long it would take you to remember that your pet was in the room."

Harry leaned in while continuing to roughly massage her hidden wounds with both hands. "Yes, well I had other things on my mind. It's not every day that your girlfriend becomes your fiancée." He punctuated his statement with a kiss that made several of the nearby girls blush. Wednesday moaning into the kiss didn't help matters.

"While I must congratulate you both on your impending nuptials, I will have to insist that you keep the displays of affection to a minimum." Headmaster Tofty chuckled, happy to see young love blossom in such a dark time. "There are young children present after all."

"Sorry sir, I just can't help myself sometimes." Harry halfheartedly apologized as he sat down. "Thank you again for letting me go to Gringotts to pick up the ring."

"Not at all Mister Black. I'm happy to help. If I may ask, have you put any thought into the wedding date? I assume you'll be waiting until after your NEWTs." The old wizard not so subtly suggested.

"During the winter break." Wednesday supplied in a firm voice. "My family will be arriving to celebrate in December."

Surprised at the declaration, Harry blinked and looked at his fiancée questioningly.

"Grandmama, Mother, and I have been making plans since July." Wednesday explained matter-of-factly. "Like I told you before, I had no idea you could be so romantic, so I wasn't expecting you to propose. We weren't sure whether or not I should propose, or just surprise you with the wedding."

Tofty was taken aback. It wasn't exactly unheard of for a couple to marry before their graduation, but it was extremely rare. Not to mention, the students involved were almost always of age. "I have no right to ask you to postpone, but there will be no special accommodations made for you. Married or not, you will still be Hogwarts students, and have to follow the same rules as everyone else."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Wednesday seemingly agreed without looking up from her plate.

"Well, congratulations again, and I'll leave you to your meal." The headmaster walked off toward the infirmary. He was young once too, and knew that those two would soon be indulging despite their agreement to follow the rules. Hopefully Madam Pomfrey would be willing to have a talk with at least one of them, and supply the appropriate contraceptive potions. He wasn't foolish enough to think that they would remain celibate once they were wed, and married or not, they would still be a bit young to be parents.

-o-o-

In the darkness of the Divination classroom, seven figures held hands around an oval table. Dim candlelight danced around the room, casting shadows, and setting the tone for the ritual at hand. At the head of the table, Professor Frump slowly chanted, while near the foot, Wednesday frowned deeper with every word.

The old crone's voice rose as she attempted to pierce the veil. "Let us ransom you from the power of the grave. Tonight, O Death, Let us be your plague."

Unable to hold silent any longer, Wednesday interrupted her grandmother. "Grandmama, what are you doing? You made up that incantation years ago."

"Well it worked once didn't it?" The professor argued, as the other participants looked at each other in confusion.

"Yes, but Uncle Fester wasn't actually dead." Wednesday countered. "Use the real one."

Sighing, the elder witch stretched out her arms, and cracked her bony knuckles. "Fine, have it your way."

Retaking the hands of those on either side of her, Professor Frump closed her eyes and began a new chant in a far more guttural tone. Slowly, an electricity began to fill the room, and her hair rose in a wild halo around her. As her voice began to crescendo her eyes opened, alight with an unearthly glow, and her words took on a cadence of power. The crystal ball that sat in the center of the table turned an inky black, and a single point of light appeared in its murky depths.

Wednesday lifted her chin high, and formally demanded the presence of three spirits. "Sirius Black, Godfather of Harry Black né Potter; James and Lily Potter, father and mother of Harry Black né Potter; I command you to come forth. On this dark night I summon you, appear before us, and confront the child you left behind on your journey to the beyond."

The point of light within the crystal ball pulsed, and split into three distinct sparks that slowly grew. Soon the lights consumed the ball, and three hazy figures rose from the crystal. Their top halves took the form that they had in life, while their lower halves remained indistinct, and tethered to the orb of light.

"Happy death day mum, dad." Harry greeted his parents' shades in turn, then looked at his godfather. "And a happy Halloween to you Sirius."

"What... How is this possible?" Confused and disoriented, James looked around until he laid eyes on his son. "Harry, son is that you?"

"I told you he looked just like you James." Sirius grinned and patted his fellow marauder on his transparent back.

"Harry..." Lily looked through her hand, and noticed Professor Frump, who was chanting softly to maintain the connection to the land of the dead. "Is, is this Necromancy?"

Lily whipped around, and slapped Sirius. "You said he was growing into the finest light wizard you'd ever seen. This is not light magic!"

Holding his hands out, Sirius attempted to placate the irate mother. Harry snorting in amusement didn't help. "Lily calm down. It's not that bad, this is just a séance. As far as dark magic goes, this doesn't even register. Trust me. As a Black, I know what I'm talking about."

"No, she's right. I'm pretty sure I qualify as a dark wizard." Harry corrected offhand. "Anyway, introductions! The lovely witch who is holding this ritual, is Esmerelda Frump. Sirius should recognize Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood, the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw respectively. Draco Malfoy and Millicent Bulstrode are the two in Slytherin green. Finally, this hauntingly beautiful Hufflepuff is Wednesday Addams, my fiancée."

Each shade latched on to a different declaration, but all three were utterly shocked.

"Slytherins? And one of them is a Malfoy?!" James couldn't believe it. "This can't be real. No son of mine would ever befriend dark wizards like them.

"Dark? Harry, what do you mean you're a dark wizard? That can't be right." Sirius shook his ghostly head, also unable to believe what he was hearing.

Lily floated down to be eye level with Harry and Wednesday. Thoughts of light and dark utterly vanished as she studied her son and her soon to be daughter-in-law. "Fiancée... My baby is getting married."

What had caught his wife's attention finally registered to James, and he moved to Lily's side, relieved to see the yellow trim on Wednesday's robes. "A Hufflepuff... Thank Merlin you aren't engaged to a dark witch too."

Draco didn't even try to hold back the laugh that escaped upon hearing James' assumption, and Harry's father rushed to confront the Malfoy scion. "What are you laughing at? I suppose you'll try and tell me that you aren't as dark as the rest of your family, but your house gives you away snake."

"Compared to her, I'm as light as Albus bloody Dumbledore." Draco drawled.

Harry cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Well... I can't say this surprises me much, but I was hoping you guys would take all this better. I guess you won't be happy to see Peter after all."

"No! Sirius shouted, a crazed look taking over his features. "Harry, not the rat. Slytherins and dark witches are bad enough, but you can't possibly have forgiven that cowardly traitor."

Draco looked across the table to lock eyes with Millicent. "You know, It's subtle, but I'm getting the impression that they don't like us."

Draco's dry comment made Millicent roll her eyes and snort softly in amusement. She had been growing increasingly uncomfortable, but Draco's calm demeanor helped her relax. She might be in to something darker than she was expecting, but if a wimp like Draco could handle it, so could she.

At Sirius' accusation, Harry's smile fell, and he took on a hurt expression. "I didn't think that you'd think so little of me. Of course I haven't forgiven him for what he did. Thing, please show them."

The rustling of fabric drew everyone's attention to a small table behind Harry. The sheet that had covered the table was pulled to the floor by an unseen force, revealing the severed head of Peter Pettigrew.

The crazed look Sirius was sporting vanished, and he knew that if he still had a stomach, it would be churning. He had dreamed of killing Peter for so long, but seeing the lifeless head of his one time friend didn't sit well with him.

James opened his mouth to continue his tirade about how thoroughly disappointed in Harry he was, but his wife's hand forcefully silenced him.

"Harry, did you kill Peter?" She asked calmly.

"No." Wednesday spoke up. "He let me do it."

Lily studied Wednesday for a few tense seconds. "Good."

Tearing his wife's hand away from his mouth, James looked horrified. "Lily, what do you mean good? Our boy has fallen in with a dark crowd, and his girlfriend just admitted she murdered a man."

"James, hush. You too Sirius." Lily ordered in a soft, but threatening manner. "Wednesday was it? Do you love my son?"

"Of course." She said without expression, while staring into Lily's eyes. "We will be together long after death claims us."

"Lily..." James started, wanted to address the issue of their son falling to the dark.

"I said hush James." Lily snapped. "If I had survived that night, you had better believe I would have killed Peter given half a chance. I never liked him to begin with, and then he led Voldemort right to our front door."

The dead woman caressed her living son's cheek wistfully. "We are dead James, and our baby boy has grown up without us. We have no right to complain about how he turned out. If we had been smarter about who we trusted, we could have raised him ourselves, but we can't change what has happened."

"Harry, I don't like what you've become, but I'll always love you no matter what." Lily declared sadly.

Unable to take anymore, James all but screamed at Harry. "The Potters are a light family, and if you insist on defying that, then I have no son! Consider yourself disowned." He finished coldly. Both Lily and Sirius stared at their fellow shade, not believing what they had just heard.

"Prongs, James, you don't mean that. Harry's just..." Seeing his best friend treat his son the exact way his own family treated him, hurt Sirius more than he thought possible. Long suppressed emotional scars opened up, as fresh and painful as when they formed in his youth. "You can't just throw away your son like that..."

Talking in the same monotone that his fiancée normally used, Harry slowly spoke, his head hanging down as he focused on the grain of the wooden table. "You can't disown me. You have to be alive to do that, and you're not even a ghost. Besides, I disowned myself a while ago. I knew I wasn't a good Potter, so I used the gift Sirius bequeathed me, and changed my name to Black... Still, I thought you'd love me anyway dad."

Wednesday glared daggers at the shade of James Potter, and was trying to remember ways to effectively torment the dead, when she felt Harry's hand pull away from hers. With the circle broken, the shades faded away. She turned to see Harry nearly rip the trap door off of its hinges, in an effort to leave the classroom. Not bothering with the ladder, he jumped through the opening, and vanished.

In an effort to chase after Harry, Wednesday rushed to jump as well, but the portal sealed itself up before she could reach it. Where the trapdoor once was, there was only solid floor. Her grandmother's voice was the only thing keeping her from trying to tear up the floor with her bare hands.

"Let him be for now, he'll stew for some time, and work himself up into a proper depression. You can find him tomorrow, and remind him whose supposed to be making him miserable from now on." The elderly witch advised as she rubbed her temples, then muttered to herself. "Always forget how relaxing that ritual is... Need to fix that."

Reluctantly, Wednesday helped her grandmother put everything away, while the other four students tried to figure out how to undo whatever Harry has done to the trapdoor. Eventually, they gave up and blasted a hole in the floor, figuring that the caretaker or house elves could deal with the actual repair. Luna, Draco, and Millicent were content to leave it at that, but Hermione immediately headed toward the library to figure out how to do it anyway.

The two Slytherins, feeling rather uncomfortable about everything, headed back to their common room without a word, leaving the two Addams witches and Luna in the Divination classroom. Draco and Millicent were both nauseous after seeing the severed head, and were glad the night was over.

"What kind of wood did you want to use?" Luna asked, after picking up the severed head of Pettigrew.

"Wood?" Wednesday usually had a decent idea of what the blonde girl was talking about, but this time was clueless.

"To mount your trophy of course." Luna replied as if it were obvious. She cradled the head in one hand, while using the other to poke and prod Pettigrew's face. "It's not very impressive looking though, I can't seem to find an expression that doesn't look pathetic. Too bad he's not a snorkack, then you could just mount his horn like daddy did."

Professor Frump looked thoughtful. "Now that's not a bad idea, too bad you didn't keep a trophy from that Joe boy."

"His name was Joel Grandmama, and I tried. His parents were greedy though, and wouldn't let me keep his heart." Wednesday took Pettigrew's head from Luna, and slipped it into her robes. "Can you see if Uncle Fester can meet me tonight? He brought Peter here, I'm sure he wouldn't mind taking him away too."

"I'll get word to Fester to meet you after midnight, and I'll let your mother know to get her tools ready. It's been some time since she's had a chance to put those taxidermy lessons to good use." As she ushered the two girls out of her classroom, the crone snatched Thing from Luna's shoulder, where he had been sitting since the séance ended. "If you wouldn't mind lending an old woman a hand, I have a splitting headache that I need to develop, and Thing has magic fingers."

-o-o-

Author's note: Well, that was an eventful chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. :)

To Guest reviewing chapter 19: There's a good chance that those who would have been involved with helping Dumbledore eliminate Voldemort for good, could be trusted to some extent. Dumbledore wouldn't have to explain how to make a horcrux, or even detail what one was. All Dumbledore had to reveal, was that they anchored Voldemort's soul, preventing him from truly dying. Until his resurrection, not too many Death Eaters were eager to continue being Death Eaters, so men like Lucius Malfoy probably wouldn't have even tried to stop them.

To den123456 reviewing chapter 2: You're right about Vernon, my version is just as much a victim of Dumbledore's machinations as Harry is. Petunia on the other hand, is kind of just as bad as her canon self if not a little worse, considering she willingly and eagerly mistreats Harry on Dumbledore's say so.

To den123456 reviewing chapter 4: First, I'd like to say that you're fortunate to not have encountered someone being obnoxiously passive aggressive like Harry was in his letter to Voldemort. I've seen some doozies in my time.

Harry's letter was meant to come off as mostly passive aggressive with a false bravado threat thrown in to show he meant business. New and improved Harry might have been, but he was nowhere near able to actually take on Voldemort yet. Like most teenagers, he was acting as if he was playing with a royal flush, when in reality all he had was three of a kind. Not a bad hand, but not good enough.

In a sense, the letter was Harry throwing a temper tantrum, with Dumbledore as the target, and Voldemort as the one being vented to. He was trying to show Voldemort that he wanted a truce by giving him information the Dark Lord would want, but his bitterness toward Dumbledore made a lot come out sounding wrong.

To Spuffylover19 reviewing chapter 19: Now you know why Harry had to go to the bank. Quite a few people figured it out ahead of time, but hopefully I surprised some. :)

Don't mess with Gryffindors, they'll never back down. Don't mess with Slytherins, they're sneaky bastards. Don't mess with Ravenclaws, they know a lot more about magic than you do. Thanks to Wednesday: Don't mess with Hufflepuffs, just don't; seriously, it's a bad idea.

How was that for Harry/Wednesday interaction? :D

To Guest reviewing chapter 19: Wednesday is treating the first years like family, but just to be clear, NOT like she's their big sister. Professor Sprout was very wrong with that observation. Addams siblings do not treat each other nicely.

Like any good Addams, Wednesday will love and cherish any children she might have. Of course, that also means she'll raise said children to be soulless little monsters.

If the younger 'Puffs find out just how monstrous Wednesday really is, they're reaction will depend on quite a few variables. They aren't really on her side though. The first years look up to her because she helps them, but only the three that she rescued are 'on her side,' due to hero worship and all that.

Yup. You and a few others called it, Harry was being all secretive about his trip to Gringotts because he wanted to prepare for his proposal.

Characters like Nott and Bulstrode are underdeveloped in canon, so it's fair game to mold them in whatever manner suits the story.

To den123456 reviewing chapter 12: I'm sorry that Harry's attitude bothers you, but I'm not trying to write him as a perfect Addams. He fits in with them, but he is not really an Addams, he has his own flavor of crazy.

To deepspob reviewing chapter 18: Luna's patronus is the Rabbit of Caerbannog. If you don't know the reference, watch 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail.' It's a classic, and like it or hate it, it's a movie that everyone should see at least once.

To Itc reviewing chapter 13: There are multiple variations of that rhyme, I just chose the one that suited Wednesday the best. It's not uncommon for the verses to be switched, Friday and Saturday are the ones most often mixed up. I will still agree with you that I goofed on her middle name though. She was given Friday as a middle name because she was born on Friday the 13th. It had nothing to do with the rhyme where her first name came from. I'm kind of annoyed at myself that I had forgotten that at the time.


	21. Bonus chapter

Warning: The first scene is loving, erotic, or horrifying, depending on which character's point of view you consider.

Author's Note: While battling with the fearsome writers block, the bane of authors everywhere, I wrote several bonus scenes to keep the beast from overwhelming me. This chapter is composed entirely of said bonus scenes. Worry not, I have since felled the foul creature, and shall be posting a real chapter within minutes of posting this one. Feel free to skip this chapter entirely if you're only interested in the main story.

Let me know what you think of this bonus chapter. If it goes over well, I might slowly build up another collection of bonuses as I write the main story, and post them in a single chapter like this one instead of at the end of a regular chapter. Feel free to send me ideas for other bonus scenes as well. No promises that I'll use your suggestion, but your chances are good considering the scenes don't have to be part of the main story's canon.

Enough chit-chat, on with the show:

-o-o-

Chapter 21

BONUS CHAPTER

-o-o-

Hannah needs brain-bleach.

NOT part of the main stories canon.

-o-o-

It didn't happen often, but on occasion Hannah was paired with Pansy Parkinson for their prefect rounds. It was just after curfew, and by mutual agreement, they patrolled separately but within earshot. While Pansy searched the far end of the seventh floor, Hannah headed the other way through the normally doorless corridor; however, this time there was a rough wooden door with rusty and pitted ironwork. The door was slightly ajar, and Hannah could hear voices coming from the other side.

Hannah really didn't like catching and punishing other students, but she wasn't about to shirk her duties either. Reluctantly, she pushed the door open to see who was using the Room of Requirement after hours. With any luck, they would be doing something like practicing wandwork, and she could let them off with a warning about paying closer attention to the time.

After closing the door behind her, Hannah realized that the room had been created to mimic an actual dungeon. She found herself in a stone passageway, that was lined with jail cells. Through the rusty iron bars, she could see conjured skeletal remains of fake prisoners. She was pretty sure they were fake, but she was still creeped out by the whole situation. Who would want the room to be like this, and for the love of Merlin, why?

The voices she had heard earlier, were now coming from the end of the passage. Hannah could see the flicker of torchlight coming from what presumably was a larger room. She walked toward the voices as quietly as she could, nervously fingering her wand as the creepy setting played tricks with her mind. Peeking around the corner, Hannah froze. The scene before her was so far out of her comfort zone, that she couldn't process it, and simply stood there, eyes widening as she took everything in.

In the center of the room, stood a naked man. His arms were stretched out above his head, and chained to rings that were bolted to the top of wooden posts that were on either side of him. His legs were forcibly held apart and secured by a three foot iron bar that was attached to each of his ankles. Hannah's eyes barely took in the scrawny form of the bound wizard, being drawn to the very prominent proof that this was indeed a man. Blushing hotly, she forced herself to look up, and was thankful that the wizards eyes were covered with a dark blindfold, he couldn't see that she had been staring at his... That line of thought had her focusing on the other parts of him, especially the unruly head of hair that clearly identified him.

Before Hannah could decide on what she should do, the staccato sound of heels walking on stone drew her attention away from Harry Black, to focus on her roommate. Wednesday Addams was slowly walking toward Harry, and her outfit had Hannah's blush burning hotter. The petite Addams wore thigh high leather boots with stiletto heels, arm length leather gloves, a too tight corset, and nothing else. To complete the image, she was carrying a coiled leather whip.

Unable to tear herself away from the unfolding scene, Hannah couldn't help but watch with unblinking eyes as Wednesday tore off Harry's blindfold, and stepped back to give him a good view of her ensemble.

Harry visibly became more aroused, and licked his lips. "You really planned this out didn't you?"

"This room has everything a girl could want, from thumbscrews to a well maintained rack. Tonight though, I thought we'd keep things simple." As she walked behind him, Wednesday let her whip unroll, and with a sharp motion, made it crack loudly.

Hannah almost screamed when she realized what was about to happen, but the look of anticipation on Harry's face confused her into further inaction. The next crack of the whip was accompanied by Harry jerking forward as far as his chains would allow, and he gave a short cry.

Mouth agape in disbelief, Hannah continued to watch as Harry shuddered with each strike. His cries grew in intensity, but they were clearly not cries of pain. His face was screwed up in a disturbing rictus of pleasure, even as blood began to pool from the brutal beating he was receiving.

After an eternity, Wednesday sauntered around to Harry's front, carrying a long iron bar, and licking the blood from her whip. Without comment, she tossed aside the weapon, and secured the bar to the posts at Harry's waist. Reaching up, she unhooked the chains from the top of the post, and resecured them to rings that were embedded in the floor. Harry was now doubled over the iron bar, and Hannah could see the damage Wednesday had done to his back.

Long bloody gashes crisscrossed Harry's back, and Hannah struggled to keep her dinner down. Realizing that she had let things go way too far, she gripped her wand firmly, ready to put a stop to the savage torture. Her resolve was replaced with confusion as she heard Harry moan.

"More! Merlin, you can't just stop. What kind of a demon are you to tease me like that?" Harry's begging left Hannah dazed and unsure.

With a smirk, Wednesday set a tall chair down in front of Harry, and sat down. She grabbed his hair, and forced him to crane his neck and look at her face. "Patience Harry, first thing first." Leaning back in the chair, Wednesday shifted forward, and buried Harry's face into her lap.

Hannah's thoughts and emotions warred with each other. The entire scene as a whole was sickening, and disturbing on so many levels, but once she realized what Harry was doing to Wednesday, she felt herself grow aroused, much to her own disgust. Biting her lip and rubbing her thighs together, Hannah fought to focus and gather her thoughts. She had to stop this right? At the very least, she should do something other than silently watch... Indecision continued to dominate, and Hannah was unable to even look away as Wednesday threw back her head, crying out in ecstasy.

With shaky hands, Wednesday pushed herself away from Harry, and took a few moments to recover. "That mouth of yours gives you an unfair advantage." She gasped, her breath straining against her corset. Wednesday leaned forward, falling out of the chair onto her hands and knees. Crawling underneath Harry, she sat on her heels, and ran a hand up his thigh. "Let's see if I can't even things up a bit."

Her sight was blocked, but from the sounds Harry made, Hannah had no problem figuring out exactly what Wednesday was doing. As Harry began to moan loader, Hannah finally managed to gain control of herself, and made a hasty retreat. She didn't stop until she left the Room of Requirements, ran down the corridor, and turned the corner to nearly bowl over Pansy Parkinson.

"Here you are, finally!" Pansy exclaimed in frustration. "Where were you? We have one more floor to clear before we can finish up, and go back to ignoring each other."

"Sorry... Go on ahead, I'll be right there." Hannah tried to compose herself, leaning heavily against the wall.

"What is your problem Abbot?" Pansy sneered.

Thinking furiously, she decided she desperately wanted to forget what had happened, so she came up with a believable lie. "Peeves... just... don't ask."

Pansy laughed. "You're pathetic Abbot. Fine, don't take too long, I'm not searching every closet myself."

Watching Pansy walk out of sight, Hannah tried to calm herself down, and nearly screamed when a shadow passed over her. Looking up, she saw Wednesday looking down at her. Thankfully the girl was now fully robed.

"I hope that between the talk I gave you, and what you just saw, you understand what sex is supposed to be like now." Wednesday said in a surprisingly gentle tone, before turning and heading down toward the basement.

-o-o-

The séance: afterlife aftermath

-o-o-

James, Lily, and Sirius slowly solidified in the formless void that was the entrance to the land of the dead. Almost immediately a loud smack rang out, and James was sent sprawling. His enraged wife started screaming incoherently at him for his behavior. Unnoticed by either Potter, Sirius slowly sat down, scratching his head as he tried to understand the unbelievable change in his godson in the short amount of time since his death.

Long since having figured out the best way to handle Lily when she lost her temper, James quietly rode out the verbal and occasionally physical abuse.

"Well, what excuse can you possibly have for what you just did to our baby?" Lilly demanded, nostrils flaring as she waited for an answer.

James lowered his hands, and looked up at his wife, remorse apparent in his features. "I screwed up... It's just, the last thing I remember was trying to give you time to escape with Harry. I threw everything I had at that monster Voldemort, ready to die just to buy you an extra second or two... Then, in what seemed like an instant, we're surrounded by our grown up son and his friends."

Running his hands through his hair, James looked away from his wife's glare. "I.. I don't know, I just freaked out. I was raised in one of the lightest families there was. I was taught to hate dark witches and wizards. All of a sudden I find out my own son is a dark wizard, his intended a confessed murderer..."

"She killed the bastard responsible for our death James." Lily pointed out flatly. "She avenged us."

"I loved Peter like a brother..." He held up his hand, attempting to hold back the angry response Lily no doubt had. "I know, I know, but when we were down there I forgot almost everything we learned here in the afterlife. Even so, doesn't it bother you at all that Harry thought we'd be happy to see Wormtail's severed head?"

Turning away from her husband, Lily's words were cold and unyielding. "You've really stuck your foot in it this time. Stay out here, and don't you dare show your face until you at least have an idea of how you can apologize to Harry. I doubt he'll have another séance after the way you behaved."

James watched morosely as Lilly grabbed Sirius by the collar, dragging him away while demanding an explanation for why his description of Harry was so different from reality.

Alternate scene ending:

Lily sighed in resignation. "I guess I'm not really surprised Harry turned out like this. Serial killers do run in the family after all."

His mouth agape, James stared at his wife, his wide eyes filled with disbelief. "What?!"

"Oh like you've never wanted to murder someone before." Lily said dismissively.

-o-o-

The Mirror of Erised

-o-o-

With his father's cloak wrapped around him, Harry stared into the ornate mirror, expecting to see his head floating midair. The cloak fell to the floor as what the mirror showed him shocked him utterly. There he was smiling widely, with a loving family surrounding him. Being surrounded by loved ones was strange enough, but what really caught his attention was that he was drenched with blood.

Harry held up his hands, noted that they were clean, and stared back at his reflection, which grinned back at him. Confused, he covered himself with the cloak, and made his way back to Gryffindor tower.

The next night Harry convinced Ron to view the strange mirror with him. Leaving out the blood-soaked aspect of his reflection, he described the loving family he saw. Confused, Ron explained that he saw only his own reflection, only he was older and wildly successful.

Ron considered the mirror mildly interesting, but Harry found himself obsessed with the strange reflection. He was intent on puzzling out what his vision meant, what the mirror was trying to show him. Night after night he returned to stare into the mirror, until one visit was interrupted by Dumbledore's gentle voice.

"Back again Harry?" the grandfatherly old headmaster asked rhetorically.

Once again Harry carefully left out the crazed and bloody reflection of himself as he spoke with Dumbledore regarding the nature of the mirror. Learning that the mirror of Erised showed ones deepest desires confused him. The surrounding family made sense, but the rest...

Dumbledore's heart sank as he lightly brushed the surface thoughts of the young boy. Apparently his changes didn't go as deeply as he'd dared to hope. Thankfully Harry didn't understand what he was seeing. The problem was easily remedied.

-o-o-

"Use the boy." A voice from nowhere ordered.

Quirrell grabbed Harry's sleeve, and forced him to look into the mirror. "Well boy, what do you see?"

Harry thought furiously about how he could prevent Quirrell from retrieving the sorcerer's stone for Voldemort. His eye's widened in shock as the mirror showed his grinning reflection holding up professor Quirrell's severed head. Not understanding the disturbing image, Harry made up a story about seeing a vision of him winning the house cup for Gryffindor.

"The boy lies. Let me see him, he cannot hide the truth from me." The voice from before demanded.

After a short argument with the voice, Quirrell relented and unwrapped his turban. The inhuman face of Voldemort protruded from the back of the professor's skull, and attempted to bargain with Harry while simultaneously probing with legilimency. Before any useful information could be sifted out of the boy's head, Harry shut his eyes, crying out in pain.

More intensely than it ever had before, Harry's scar erupted in pain. Clutching at his now bleeding forehead, he shut his eyes and tried to fight through the sensation. He felt Quirrell try to pull his hand away to force him to look at Voldemort, but the attempt was immediately abandoned.

Quirrell's cry of pain filled the room, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. Harry's eyes opened to see his defense professor clutching at his ruined hand, and realized that skin contact had somehow burned the older wizard.

Between taking in Quirrell's agony, and the increasing intensity of his own pain, something clicked deep within Harry. He suddenly understood what the mirror had been showing him, the best way to protect the stone from quirrell, was to kill him. Such an easy answer, he wondered why it had taken so long to see it. With a grin that matched his reflection, Harry knew exactly what to do.

Leaping forward, Harry grabbed Quirrell's head with both hands, sending them both to the ground. Kneeling on Quirrell's chest, Harry started laughing as the man struggled underneath him. Blood began to drip from Harry's scar, and as each drop landed, it burned a new hole in Quirrel's already blistering face. The agony Harry felt was intoxicating, but nothing compared to the fearful and pain filled screams from Quirrell and Voldemort.

All too soon Harry felt the man die in his hands, and with fascination, he watched the light leave his eyes. So entranced with Quirrell's dying moments, Harry never noticed the escape of the black cloud that was the remnant of Voldemort. Neither did he notice Headmaster Dumbledore approach him from behind.

Thoroughly sickened, Dumbledore stunned Harry, and pulled him off of the smoldering corpse. It was bad enough that Harry and his friends had followed Voldemort into the trap he'd laid, but for Harry to kill Quirinus... and with such glee... He had to reinforce, maybe even completely redo the boy's mental modifications.

What could possibly make three first years enter the deadly trap he'd created? It was designed to allow a fully trained wizard to enter with more than a little effort, then change to make doubling back a near impossibility. To protect the children, Hagrid's pet should have kept any students from even entering the deadly gauntlet. The Cerberus was trained to not harm anyone underage, but repel them all the same.

Dumbledore was grateful for the small mercy that Quirinus must have disabled the worst of the dangers as he passed through. Even so, Mister Weasley and Miss Granger were lucky to be alive. It was an absolute wonder that Mister Potter was mostly unscathed. All three children would need memory charms, and medical attention of course. Remembering a gauntlet of traps that first years could just barely overcome would have to do, there was just no way to completely cover up that the children had been through an ordeal.

Despite lacking the injuries of his companions, Harry would spend far more time in Madam Pomfrey's care. Dumbledore wanted to take his time, carefully ensuring that the boy would be normal when he woke up.

-o-o-

Harry's boggart

-o-o-

"Professor, why didn't you let me face the boggart?" Harry asked in frustration. Not only did everyone think he was a coward for fainting whenever a dementor got too close, but now it looked like the defense professor felt he needed to be coddled.

"For the simple reason that I feared your boggart would be Voldemort." Professor Lupin answered calmly, surprised at how upset Harry seemed.

After a long conversation, the two came to the conclusion that having a boggart that was a dementor would be the perfect tool for Lupin to teach Harry to depend himself against the real Azkaban guards. After going over the motion and incantation needed, Lupin released the boggart he'd been using in class.

Harry braced himself for the appearance of the dark creature, 'expecto patronum' on the tip of his tongue. What appeared instead caused him to lower his wand, and look at the professor in confusion.

With a twinkle in his eye, headmaster Dumbledore stepped out of the wardrobe, and gently smiling, pointed his wand at Harry. "Obliviate."

Professor Lupin and Harry looked at each other, then at the confused boggart that couldn't understand why its victim wasn't reacting. Deciding not to bother with the boy, the shapeshifter turned to the man, and transformed into a picturesque vision of the full moon.

Negligently, Lupin banished the boggart back into the wardrobe, not bothering with the traditional method. "This, is concerning... Harry, why are you afraid that Professor Dumbledore is going to memory charm you?"

Harry held his hand up to his forehead as he furrowed his brow. Thinking hard, he tried to grasp a thought that kept slipping away before he could examine it. "I... I don't know. Dumbledore is the greatest wizard alive... This doesn't make any sense, he'd never try to hurt me in any way. I'm sure of it."

"You're absolutely correct Harry. There must be something else going on here." Lupin frowned, he had no idea what this turn of events signified. "I think we should take the matter to the headmaster himself."

-o-o-

"I'm very glad that you brought this to my attention." Dumbledore's eyes were tired, and lacked their usual twinkle. "This is most troubling. Fortunately, I have a theory regarding the cause, and what must be done."

"Is there something wrong with me professor?" Harry was nervous, it wasn't like Dumbledore to not be mysteriously confident.

Dumbledore nodded sadly. "I'm afraid there is Harry, but everything will be made right once more. I'll see to it personally, but first I must speak with your professor. Help yourself to some of the delightful muggle candies I discovered. They're much like Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, but there are only pleasant flavors."

As Harry sat down to wait, Dumbledore led Lupin out into the hall, casting privacy charms as they walked. Before the defense professor could ask what he should do to help, he found himself facing the business end of Dumbledore's wand.

An unfortunately well practiced memory charm later, and Lupin was under the impression that he'd postponed Harry's patronus lessons until after the holidays, for reasons regarding his transformation and a need to find a new boggart.

"Good news Remus, I do believe I can provide you with a boggart." The headmaster smiled gently. "Unfortunately, to simplify your lessons with Mister Potter, and to prevent this one from escaping, I won't be able to supply it right away. I hope to enchant a chest to trap the creature. The enchantment will be so that once you let the boggart out, simply closing the chest will draw it back in."

Feeling tired from one of the worst transformations he could remember for some time, Lupin smiled back wearily. "That will be perfect, I need to recover anyway."

"Of course." The older wizard agreed. "Rest up, so you can teach Harry to the best of your ability. Teaching Mister Potter to defend himself from those foul dementors is too important to not give your all."

-o-o-

Dumbledore sighed deeply as he sat on the edge of his bed, too tired to even bother with changing into his nightclothes. This was turning out to be a most trying year. Blast Cornelius for convincing the governors that dementors were necessary to protect the children. There were other, safer ways, to guard the school. The danger those dark creatures posed to the students was bad enough, but the effect they had on Harry...

He let himself fall back into the comfort of his soft bed, and stared into the cloth canopy that swirled with the night sky. Those foul creatures kept undoing his efforts to mold Harry into a good person. It was exasperating having to cover up every time one got too close. He had thought it a good idea to subtly push Harry into asking Remus for help, but that turned out to be an even bigger headache.

Now he had to craft several complex enchantments to ensure that Harry's lessons went as planned. Much like he'd told Remus, the enchantments would prevent the boggart's escape, but that was only the beginning. The boggart would have to be tricked into turning into a fake dementor in spite of Harry's true fear. The effects of the dementor must be felt properly as well. It would not do for Harry to enjoy the exposure. The interaction between the latest modifications to Harry's mind, and the fake dementor's projection of despair, would have to be flawless. Perhaps he could make it so that Harry heard his mother scream, and beg for his life. A flash of green light could add to the 'memory.' Yes, that should work... So much to do...

To think, he was hoping for a calm and peaceful holiday. With Harry in the castle, he really should have known better.

-o-o-

The Talk

-o-o-

"You wanted to talk with me mother?" Ten year old Wednesday said as she walked into her mother's greenhouse.

Morticia finished clipping the heads off of a rose bush, and turned to face her daughter. "Yes dear, sit down. This shouldn't take long, but it is very important."

Wednesday sat on one of the stone benches, and watched her mother impassively. Smiling, Morticia sat next to her daughter, and gave Wednesday a small side hug.

"You're growing up so fast, and soon you'll be having urges." Morticia started as she gently rubbed her daughter's shoulder.

"We've already discussed this mother." Wednesday interrupted, then recited what she thought her mother was about to talk about. "No homicide until I can dispose of the body properly. There will be plenty of time when I'm older to indulge."

With a small laugh, Morticia shook her head. "No dear, this is about sex. Although the two are related."

"We've talked about that too." Wednesday pointed out, and proceeded to clinically recite how babies are made.

"That's very good Wednesday, but there's more to sex than just making babies." Morticia squeezed Wednesday tightly, enough to drive the air from her lungs. "It feels good too. Soon you'll find yourself wanting to experience it yourself."

Wednesday looked up at her mother skeptically. "Does that mean that you and father aren't just trying to make a baby every night?"

"No dear, we have sex to express our love, and because it feels good. Someday you'll find a special someone who you'll want to share everything with." Morticia said with a knowing smile.

"I don't like sharing." Wednesday said flatly.

"You'll change your mind. Give it time." Morticia insisted. "However, when the time comes, it is important that you be particular with whom you choose to have sex. Ideally, along with feeling good, sex should bring you closer to that special someone. If you don't want to spend your life with the other person, there's little reason to become so intimate with them."

"This is about love isn't it?" Wednesday asked, clearly uninterested.

"In part, but I also want you to understand that sex is about feeling good. Intercourse is pleasant, but there is so much more to it than that. The intimacy involved gives you the opportunity to enjoy so many interesting kinds of pain." Morticia's looked up, gazing into the distance with unfocused eyes as she continued. "Opening yourself to someone completely, being at their mercy, unable to stop them from inflicting blinding pain... or mind-numbing pleasure..."

Wednesday tilted her head as she looked up at her mother who was lost in her own imagination. A look of longing was etched into her features as she muttered about fear, agony, and bliss. Assuming that their talk was over, she hopped down and left to find her father. No doubt he would know what to do to snap her mother out of her trance.

As she looked for Gomez, Wednesday recalled Morticia's look of longing, and how much her parents seemed to enjoy each other. She didn't understand it yet, but she decided it was worth remembering to think about later. If nothing else, she could probably manipulate some poor boy if he was foolish enough to fall in love with her. Thoughts of domination and murder filled her imagination for the rest of the day.

-o-o-

Pest control

-o-o-

There he was, Draco was staring into the flames once again. Pansy bit her lip as she stared at her blond housemate. He'd been doing that a lot this year, either staring into the flames, or off into the distance. She wasn't sure what was wrong with her sweetie, but she didn't like it one bit. He'd been ignoring her more and more, and worst of all he now had one of those things as a pet. She shuddered, remembering the sight of his creepy new pet. It had to be Potter's fault, something had happened there, something major. Nobody goes from enemy to friend so easily.

"Draco, baby, what's wrong?" She asked carefully. "We're all alone, so you can let me know. You don't have to hide anything from me."

Having learned his lesson from being startled out of his musings so often, Draco had been using an extrasensory charm, so he was well aware of Parkinson hovering behind him. "Nothing important, just wondering if there was a better way."

"A better way for what?" She asked as she sat down, almost on his lap.

Shifting away from the tenaciously clingy girl, he held back a smirk. "Feeding my little friend of course. He's not quite used to me yet, so he's a little nippy. The anti-venom draughts are effective and easy to brew, but they taste terrible."

As if burned, Pansy leaped away from Draco. "That... thing isn't here is it?"

"Where else would he be?" Draco adopted as innocent a face as he could manage. "I can't very well leave him in the dorm."

Pansy watched in horror as Draco rolled back his sleeve, the napping pet snake becoming visible, and the firelight dancing off of its scales. Realizing that she'd almost been pressing herself against that thing, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

Draco allowed himself to smirk as he stood to leave. The biting really was painful and annoying, but seeing Parkinson collapse like that was well worth the effort involved to keep his deadly new pet. Keeping himself dosed with anti-venom was a price well worth paying.


	22. Temper temper

Author's note: Well... it's been a while since I last updated huh? As some of you know, I've been busy dealing with Murphy's law. I can't promise that things will go back to normal now, but I certainly hope to get the next chapter up in a much more timely manner.

As always, thank you all for reading, and special thanks to those who review. I greatly appreciate the feedback, so let me know what you think.

Additional thanks goes to Jonn Wolfe, for putting together the new cover image. Now you guys don't have to look at my ugly mug. :)

-o-o-

Chapter 22

Temper temper

-o-o-

Not even the full force of Voldemort's cruciatus came close to the exquisite pain that Harry felt as he made his way toward the solitude of the Chamber of Secrets. His heart felt like it was being twisted apart. He could understand his father hating him, in many ways he was expecting it, but not wanting anything to do with him? Trying to disown him? Harry couldn't fathom how a father could feel that way.

He was so caught up wallowing in his pain, that he never noticed that someone was following him.

Trying to hide in the shadows, a sadistic smirk formed as the silent figure saw Harry enter the bathroom. Drawing their wand, they rushed forward to take advantage of their cornered victim.

Myrtle wasn't in her bathroom. Harry figured she was either peeping in the prefect's bath again, or exploring the Black Lake; which suited him just fine, he wanted to be alone to process everything. Resting his hands on the sink that marked the Chamber's entrance, Harry paused to take a deep breath. Suddenly, something slammed into the back of his head, forcefully smashing his forehead into the mirror.

As the mirror shattered, shards of glass bit into his flesh, causing rivulets of blood to run down his face. Both figuratively and literally, Harry saw red. As he whipped around to confront whoever was intruding on his solitude, he drew his dagger, and sent it flying through the air.

A meaty thunk, followed by a string of foul language, let Harry know he had hit his target. Wiping the blood from his eyes with one hand, he drew his wand with the other. The large form of Thomas Selwyn was bearing down on him with murder in his eyes.

With one arm hanging limp thanks to the dagger embedded in his shoulder, Selwyn's wand was already trained on Harry. "I was just going to teach you a lesson Potter, but now I'm mad. Crucio!"

The sharp wave of pain that passed through Harry caused him to shudder involuntarily, an unfortunate twitch of his hand sent his wand skittering across the tiles. Falling to one knee, he took a deep breath and gritted his teeth to bite back a moan.

"Not so tough after all, are you Potter?" Selwyn taunted with a cruel sneer. "I can't believe that ponce Malfoy is scared of you."

"Not too bad Selwyn... I mean nothing like Voldemort's, but you're not half bad with the cruciatus." Letting himself fall back into a seated position, Harry smiled up at his attacker. "That was nice, but I'm really not in the mood for this sort of thing right now. We can play some other time, right now I just want to be alone."

Harry's attitude confused Selwyn, causing him to pause. "I don't think you understand the situation Potter. I'm going to hurt you so bad, it will take Saint Mungo's months to put you back together."

Harry smiled wider. "Oh no, I get it. You're trying to make up for trying to torture Wednesday by torturing me. We are a couple, engaged now, so you really should hurt us both together, that would be the proper way to do things."

"Look Potter." Selwyn began as he moved to be standing over Harry, pleased that the Gryffindor had stopped smiling.

In the blink of an eye, the seventh year found himself face to face with his intended victim. He only vaguely realized that Harry had grabbed his wrist to point his wand away. Nearly all of Selwyn's attention was focused on the agonizing feeling of Harry's other hand tightly gripping one of his floating ribs.

"The cruciatus will only do so much to put me in a good mood." Harry hissed as he dug his fingers deeper to better grasp the ribs.

"My. Name. Is. BLACK." The rib broke free, and Harry shoved it up into Selwyn's body as far as he could.

Gasping for air as his lung filled with blood, Selwyn reflexively curled into a ball as he fell heavily to the floor.

"Aw dammit." Harry shook his head in remorse as he watched the older boy cough up blood. "Wednesday is going to be mad at me for this."

Not sure what to do, Harry just collected his knife and wand, and left the dying Slytherin writhing on the bathroom floor.

-o-o-

When Voldemort was in a bad mood, nearly every Death Eater knew that avoiding him was the best way to ensure that they'd live to see another day. By the time the screams died down, and he stepped over the quivering mass that was Nott, the halls were all but empty. Those who were unable to leave in time were thankful that the Dark Lord was wholly focused on his destination as he stormed past, headed toward one man in particular.

Lucius Malfoy was beside himself with fear as his master bore down on him. Still, he held his ground as best he could, desperately trying to remember if he had done anything that might have upset the powerful wizard. Unable to think of anything, he quickly thought up a few generic excuses that might deflect the Dark Lord's ire.

"Lucius, send word to your son. The Nott brat has failed his task so completely that I want him dead." Voldemort snarled. "Not only is that pompous old windbag still alive, but he's managed to find the courage to reveal my secrets."

"O-of course my lord. I'll inform Draco at once. Shall I have him take over the other boy's task as well?" Keeping the relief from showing on his face, Lucius began planning how best to take advantage of the situation. If he was careful, and just a bit lucky, he could use his son's accomplishments to put himself back into Voldemort's good graces.

"No, I'll deal with Slughorn eventually. He can do no more damage, and has earned my personal attention." The barely human wizard proclaimed darkly, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Young Draco should concern himself with Nott's son, even your child should be able to manage that much. As for you, bring me a house elf. There is something I need to do. Then go to Lestrange manor, tell them to raid the ministry as soon as they are ready. I need all of my best wands."

"Does this mean you have a task for me as well my lord?" Lucius asked tentatively. Despite his current situation as an errand boy, he knew that his master would still recognize his talent.

"Protect Nagini with your life." Voldemort said flatly, his red eyes glowing with the promise of pain. "Should one of her scales be out of place, your fate will be worse than you could possibly imagine. Now bring me an elf!"

-o-o-

McGonagall's stern face hid that she was terrified that she'd lost another student. Mister Black was absent from her class, and none of his friends had any idea where he might be. The thought of losing her Gryffindors one by one was going to give her nightmares for weeks, even if both Messrs. Black and Weasley showed up suddenly, none the worse for wear.

Entering the library, McGonagall sought out the petite Hufflepuff who was most likely to have answers. "Miss Addams, do you know where your fiancé is? He did not show up to my class this morning. Miss Granger assures me that he is well, but after..." She paused as Wednesday stood abruptly. If it weren't for her expressionless face, she would think the girl was annoyed more than anything.

"I'll take care of it." Wednesday said tersely, walking away without offering any explanation.

-o-o-

Wednesday examined corpse impassively, idly wondering why it hadn't been found yet. Harry had mentioned that people avoided the bathroom, but she hadn't realized how much of a deterrent Myrtle really was.

The ghost in question seemed torn between wanting to report the dead body, and wanting to have a crying fit over the dead boy passing on completely. Harry and Wednesday wouldn't be around forever, and she wasn't looking forward to being lonely again. Another ghost haunting her bathroom, especially a boy, would have been wonderful.

"Don't worry about that for now, but see if you can find Harry down there. Tell him that if he doesn't either come up here, or let me go down there, I won't let him so much as kiss me until our wedding night." Wednesday stood with her arms crossed, and stared at the hidden entrance while she asked Myrtle to act as a messenger.

The ghost gave a forced giggled, and commented nervously on how Harry must be in trouble, while working up the courage to float down into the Chamber of Secrets. Over five decades had past since she had been killed, and the thought of what might lie below still terrified her. The only reason she was willing to face her fear, was the kindness shown to her by Wednesday. The expressionless girl never made fun of her, visited often, and actually wanted to hear how miserable her afterlife was. Myrtle closed her eyes, and while trying to still her trembling, dove through the sink before she could change her mind.

Watching the ghost force herself to enter the Chamber, Wednesday allowed herself to enjoy the palpable fear that the dead girl projected. Then she waited, as still as a statue, for the secret entrance to open.

After five or so minutes, the familiar portal opened, and Wednesday stepped through, making her way toward the main chamber with a measured pace.

Harry was nowhere to be seen, but his voice carried across the chamber. "I don't suppose you'll let me be miserable in peace, at least for a little while longer."

Wednesday scanned the room, and noticed that the small table they'd brought down had only one chair at it, instead of the two they'd brought with it. The missing chair didn't seem to be anywhere else either. Fixing her stare at the empty space where the chair should be, she walked across the chamber.

Grasping at the air in front of her, she heard the faint rustle of fabric. With a fast sweeping motion, she darted forward and managed to capture a handful of the elusive cloth. Casting aside his cloak of invisibility, Wednesday loomed over her fiancé, folding her arms as she stared.

"Well, explain." Wednesday demanded. "You've got shards of glass sticking out of your face, your robes are stained with blood, and upstairs that Selwyn boy is a corpse for some reason. You wouldn't be having fun without me would you?"

Somewhat surprised, Harry brought his hand up to his forehead, slicing his fingers in the process. He gave Wednesday a sheepish grin as he pulled one of the larger shards free. "I kind of forgot about that... As for Selwyn... I kind of lost my temper, sorry."

Rolling her eyes, Wednesday let out a sigh of exasperation. "I thought Draco already told you that you shouldn't kill him here in Hogwarts. The teachers are already uptight about the boy Hermione let die." She threw her hands into the air in frustration. "I was planning on having Daddy and Pugsley take you out before the Wedding to hunt him down. Now I suppose you'll have to do something else for a bachelor party."

"Well, It's not like I planned it. He attacked me, and I wasn't even trying to kill him. Like I said, I lost my temper." Harry defended his actions while continuing to pick pieces of broken mirror out of his forehead. "To be honest, I thought it might be you at first considering he caught me off guard. I thought you would try and follow me, talk me out of wallowing in misery, or something like that."

Wednesday swatted his hands away, and took over glass removal, using her dagger to dig out the smaller pieces. "I was, but Grandmama talked me out of it. She reminded me that we aren't married yet." She took a fistful of his hair, and waved the dagger millimeters from his eyeball. "When we are married though, you had better remember that I'm the one who's supposed to be making you miserable. It's just awful to see you in pain, and know that I had nothing to do with it."

She used her handkerchief to wipe away the blood, and examined his face closely. "I think that's all of it. If you have anything left over from when you healed Pettigrew, you should use it. Otherwise I'll see if Hermione can help heal you quickly. Professor McGonagall is scared enough as it is. If she sees you like this, who knows how she'll overreact." Wadding up the handkerchief, and shoving it into her pocket, Wednesday shook her head. "The people around here make such a big deal over little things like cuts and bruises."

Once again lamenting his poor memory, Harry buried his face into his hand. "I completely forgot that I have Transfiguration in the morning. How much time do I have until class starts?"

"Early morning classes ended a while ago. Lunch will be starting in a half-hour or so. I told you the professor was scared. She thinks that whatever happened to the other boy, happened to you." She put her hands on her hips, and stared at him, letting the corner of her mouth rise ever so slightly. "Now clean yourself up, and go see your teacher. If you want to be miserable, it will have to wait for our honeymoon, I've been working on seeing that we have a few soul rending days between the wedding and our return to school. If everything comes together, at least one of us is going to suffer."

"What about Selwyn? I'm not really sure what to do about him." Harry asked as he rummaged around for the leftover healing salve.

"Myrtle will probably tell someone that he's dead, but is it worth hiding the body?" Wednesday wondered out loud. "I don't think she knows you killed him. Are wizards as good as regular people at discovering who committed a crime?"

-o-o-

The rage he'd felt upon seeing the empty basin where his locket should have been, pushed Voldemort to new heights of destruction. Though he'd never describe it as such, the tantrum he threw shattered his enchantments, and blew the top clean off of the island. The elf he'd brought along to help him retrieve his horcrux cowered, petrified at the display of raw power. Upon noticing the frightened elf, he turned his fury on the helpless creature.

Destroying the island, and mangling an elf, did little to calm the storm that raged within Voldemort. He forced himself to be calm enough to apparate, turned on his heel, and disappeared with an inelegant -crack- reminiscent of a sonic boom.

-o-o-

Reappearing in front of a rundown shack, just outside Little Hangleton, Voldemort set to work dismantling the protections that guarded one of his first horcuxes. As he disarmed traps with the efficiency and elegance of a locksmith who use C4 to pick a lock, he thought about how he could better protect his precious soul fragments.

His diary was destroyed years ago, thanks to Malfoy's idiocy. Perhaps when the fair haired wizard was no longer of any use, he would revisit Lucius' punishment.

His locket, an heirloom that was rightfully his, was missing. One way or another, he would find the one responsible, and make them pay dearly for their transgression.

Hopefully his ring would still be here, and he could find a more secure location to hide it. If it too was missing... With that dark thought, Voldemort tore through the last of the protections, revealing his irreplaceable family ring. Somewhat relieved, he negligently removed the withering curse, and put the Gaunt heirloom on, feeling the comforting presence of his soul fragment.

Breathing deeply, he tried to clear his mind, and think rationally. Surely the locket was a fluke. Moving the ring from the Gaunt hovel was perhaps a good idea regardless, but the others, the others were in no danger.

Hufflepuff's cup was safely nestled within Gringotts, that one certainly shouldn't need to be moved. The goblins might be disgusting creatures, but they guarded treasure with an inspiring fervor. Not to mention, only he had the talent and power to bypass their security, and escape unharmed.

Ravenclaw's diadem should be perfectly safe as well. In the unlikely event that someone discovered how to use the wondrous hidden room, they would still have to sift through mountains of rubbish. Still, if the boy proves his worth, perhaps he should put some thought into having the Malfoy brat ensure the safety of his horcrux.

Nagini could protect herself of course. Add the protections he'd bestowed upon his pet, and she should be nearly as immortal as him. Adding Malfoy as a bodyguard was really more to humiliate the failure of a wizard, who was just useful enough not to kill.

That left the boy, Black. There was no doubt at all that Dumbledore knew about that one. Originally he was taking his time creating the necessary ritual, wanting to ensure that his soul fragment was completely safe; however, the strange girl had been badgering him about doing the ritual during the winter break, and he had agreed in order to shut her up. Now he was glad that he'd given in to her request. He had no idea if the ritual would leave the boy alive or not, but once his horcrux was relocated, he couldn't care less what happened to Black.

Absently rubbing the band of his ring, Voldemort considered what to do with it. He would not feel truly safe until both it and the horcrux in Black were relocated, and thoroughly protected.

-o-o-

Draco reread the note several times before tossing it into the fire in the Slytherin common room. There was no mistaking the message his father had hidden, encoded among mindless drivel about how much his parents loved him. Nott must have seriously screwed up the task he'd been so proud of, and now he was expected to mete out the boy's final punishment.

Staring into the flames, Draco wondered if there was any way he could get out of his appointed task. Despite his support of the Dark Lord, and his resignation to eventually becoming a Death Eater himself, he wasn't sure he had the stomach to kill one of his classmates.

With a growing smile, Draco sat up, and looked over at the bust of Salazar Slytherin. He wasn't some idiotic Gryffindor, there was no reason he had to dirty his own hands. Nott had already handed him the perfect solution. All he needed to do was point Nott in the right direction, and he'd willingly kill himself.

-o-o-

While searching through the stacks to find something to help him pass Charms, Cormac McLaggen overheard a girl complaining one row over.

"... not fair. How can Harry be marrying that thing? My boobs are so much bigger than hers, but he hasn't even noticed me..." The girl was muttering angrily, possibly venting to a friend. "I mean, I've done everything but literally throw myself at him, and it's like I don't even exist."

"Just let it go Romilda. It's not like he'll just suddenly decide he wants you instead of his fiancée." Another girls voice quietly commented. "Romilda... why are you smiling?"

"Your idea is perfect. All I need is to buy a quality potion, and he'll love me instead of that twig." Romilda sounded excited as her whisper grew louder.

"Ugh no, that's stupid. Stop blaming me for your bad ideas. Besides, how are you going to afford a good enough potion. Seriously, just let it go." The other girl trailed off, as she apparently walked away from the conversation.

Cormac smiled as he abandoned his search, and walked around to the next row. He confidently walked up to the younger girl, whom he vaguely recognized as a Gryffindor fourth year. "I overheard your little problem, and thought I would offer some help. A guy like me doesn't have any use for love potions, but I'll help out a fellow Gryffindor, and loan you some money to buy one."

Having been contemplating excuses she could use to convince her parents to send some galleons, Romilda Vane got excited. Looking up at the smiling seventh year, she also got a little suspicious. "Why would you help me... Wait, why were you listening to a private conversation anyway?"

"We're in a library, not the girls loo. Conversations are only as private as the charms you decide to throw up." Cormac pointed out, defending the fact that he'd been obviously eavesdropping. "As for why I'd help you, why wouldn't I. Having Potter fall in love with you is a plan that has no losers, everybody wins."

Leaning in closer, and whispering conspiratorially, Cormac laid out his reasoning. "You get Potter, Potter gets you, and I can be there to console Addams. See? Everybody comes out on top." He pressed a small stack of galleons into her hand, and gave her a winning smile.

Cormac intentionally left out the fact that there wasn't any love potion that was permanent, but he figured things would work out anyway. Addams would get to see what a real wizard was like, and would be grateful that she didn't make the mistake of marrying Potter. Chances were Potter might whine a bit, but the girl was right, she had a great rack, so Potter would probably stay with her. If she wasn't so much younger than him, he'd convince her to sleep with him, but a kid with a nice rack was still just a kid.

As Romilda pocketed the galleons and rushed off, Cormac started thinking about what a spirited girl like Addams would be like in bed. She probably would be up for some wild things, especially while she was still reeling from having Potter dump her.

-o-o-

"Nott, a word?" Draco asked with a face that betrayed no emotion.

Theodore eyed Draco curiously before shrugging. "Sure, what do you need? Have your bollocks grown back, do you want my help with Potter?" He taunted after following the Malfoy scion into a more private alcove.

"Watch your mouth Nott, the whole school knows how easy it is to take you on. Black did it without even using his wand." Before the other boy could respond, Draco held up his hands placatingly. "I didn't ask you over here to posture, I have a message for you. It appears I was wrong, and it would be in everybody's best interest... well, everybody that matters... for you to 'take care' of Black."

Deciding he could afford to let Malfoy's insult slide, Theodore smirked knowingly. "Father did say those beneath me would act as messengers. I'll help you with Potter just as soon as I finish my first task. There's been a slight hiccough, but I'm sure it will be taken care of before next weekend."

Draco clamped down on his sense of outrage. The underlying fear was absent, but thanks to Black and his woman, he was much better at controlling his outbursts. "The other task can wait. This is more important, and you won't be helping me, handling Black is your responsibility. I will help you."

"More important? Is that your opinion, or does this come from..."

"Do you honestly think I would dare put my desires above the Dark Lord's?" Draco scoffed. "All I know is what my father relayed to me, and you need to drop everything. Black is your only concern right now. Now, what is your plan, and how can I help?"

There was an uncomfortable silence, as Theodore stared at Draco. "I see what you're doing, and it won't work. This is my time, and you won't steal any of the credit. Just sit back, and watch how a real wizard handles things."

Watching Nott walk off, Draco cursed inwardly. He was hoping to have some control over the situation, to make sure that Black wasn't harmed. Chances were that Nott would fail miserably, but if the arse succeeded... Draco knew his life wouldn't be worth a knut.

-o-o-

With several decisions still to be made, Wednesday flipped through her notebook. While mother and grandmama had given advice, every choice was ultimately hers to make. It was her wedding after all. Not wanting unsolicited advice from her roommates, she had found an unused corner of the dungeons. As far as she knew, not even the Slytherins came this way very often; although, she didn't understand why not, it was cold, damp, and smelled of mold. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the page holding the list of students that she felt may be worth inviting.

A moment before she felt magic wash over her, Wednesday heard a low voice whisper, "Imperio." Curious, she allowed the strange wizard to believe his will surpassed her own, and paused to see what he wanted her so desperately to do.

A small silver potions knife was placed on her notebook, and the boy whispered into her ear. "The slightest scratch is all that is needed. Take the poisoned knife, and kill your boyfriend. Then, turn the knife on yourself, and join him in death."

Theodore couldn't believe how easy the imperious curse was. Supposedly it was difficult to maintain control, but he couldn't feel any resistance from the girl. She was a Hufflepuff, so he wasn't expecting it to be too hard, but this was laughably easy. Surely the spell's difficulty was exaggerated, or he was more talented than even he thought.

Wednesday picked up the knife, sniffing once before licking the blade. "Curare, how mundane. Don't you have something more potent?"

Realizing that the lack of resistance was because the spell failed outright. Theodore quickly tried to cast the imperious again, before it registered that the girl had willingly licked the blade coated with deadly poison.

"I think we both know that you aren't going to be able to control me." Wednesday commented dryly. "I appreciate the attempt at a wedding gift, but it's a little early, and really not that good of one. You are a wizard, why don't you try again with a magical poison? If you need an idea where to start, I'm sure Grandmama, Professor Frump that is, will be more than happy to help."

The situation having quickly spun out of his control, Theodore panicked and raised his wand a third time. "Obliviate!"

-o-o-

"Ooh cauldron cakes, can I have one?" Demelza Robins asked as she threw her books onto her bed.

Romilda didn't bother looking up as she carefully filled each one with the expensive amortentia she'd keyed to herself. "Only if you want to fall madly in love with me."

Demelza looked at the boxes of cakes in disbelief. "You're seriously doing this? I'm telling you, it's a bad idea. Overkill too, why are you using two whole boxes?"

Ignoring the first part of what her roommate said, Romilda answered the second. "This one's for Harry, he'll fall in love with me, and we'll be the perfect couple. The other one's for the twig. The boy who helped me buy the potion wants her for some reason, so I thought I'd help him out. Why else would he have given me one of his hairs with the galleons?"

"There isn't any way to talk you out of this is there?" Demelza asked flatly.

"You worry too much." Romilda laughed as she replaced the last cake, and sealed up the box. "What could possibly go wrong?"

-o-o-

"Professor Slughorn? I was just in the library, trying to look up wizarding law, but I'm afraid I don't understand, the books aren't very clear." Harry broached the topic as he stepped into the professor's office.

The potions master looked up from a stack of essays. "Good to see that you're alright Mister Black, Professor McGonagall has been worried about you. I trust you've let her know why you missed her class?"

"Yes sir, I lost track of time." Harry answered vaguely. "About the law, you said we could ask you anything, so I was hoping you could help me out."

"Certainly Harry, come sit down." He gladly set the poorly written essays off to the side for a moments distraction from one of his most promising connections. "I suppose this has to do with the nuances of being head of house Black?"

"No sir." Harry shook his head. "I'm pretty sure I can handle that. It has to do with self defense."

"Ah, I see. You're worried about your fiancée, and the practices she's been encouraging in Hufflepuff." Slughorn nodded knowingly. "Not to worry. I dare say my snakes deserve the bumps and bruises they've been receiving as of late."

"Actually sir, I was more interested in the penalty for killing in self-defense."

"Killing?" The old wizard looked shocked, but then nodded grimly as his mind put together why his student might ask. "You've had a target on your back since you were a baby, and your afraid your luck will run out and you'll have to do more than stun to survive."

"Something like that sir."

"This is... purely hypothetical of course?" Slughorn asked hopefully.

"No sir, both Wednesday and I have been attacked recently." Harry paused as Wednesday walked into the office and tossed Nott's corpse onto the desk. "As you can see, Nott here was a Death Eater. That should make things easier right?"

Nearly falling backwards out of his chair, Slughorn focused on the Dark Mark displayed prominently on the dead boy's arm. They were in the school... They were in his house...

"Professor?" Harry pushed, as Slughorn seemed to have frozen in place. "I can't find any set punishment for taking a life. As far as I can tell, it has everything to do with who the killer and victim are, but I'm not quite sure which details are important."

"Harry is trying to ask: Is it worth going through the trouble of hiding the bodies, or will it be easier to just inform the police." Wednesday pointed out, as she tried to pull her dagger from where it was lodged in Nott's forehead.

"Aurors, police are muggles." Harry corrected absently, wondering if coming to Slughorn for advice wasn't the best idea. The professor was turning an interesting shade of green, and sweat began to cover his brow.

Wednesday paused, rolling her eyes at the distinction before tugging forcefully to free her blade. "Like it matters. Police, aurors, they're all the same. The laws they enforce don't make any sense at all."

Slughorn felt bile rising, and had to steady himself when the knife was jerked free, causing a small spray of blood to stain the essays he'd been working on. "I... Merlin help me." As if for the first time, he looked at the two students, ignoring their wealth, and in Mister Black's case, fame. For a moment he was reminded of the charismatic Tom Riddle, but Riddle hid his deviance. These two almost reveled in it. There was no remorse, no humanity in their eyes. They didn't even seem all that concerned about the repercussions of taking a life.

Taking a deep breath, and looking away from the corpse, the old wizard considered the situation. They did say it was self-defense, so perhaps everything was not as bad as it seemed. Mister Nott was clearly a Death Eater as well, so it was likely they had saved his life too.

"Looking up to face Harry, Slughorn asked about the other death. "You said you were attacked as well. By whom, another Death Eater?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't think so, but I'm pretty sure his father was one. It was Selwyn, the large seventh year boy."

"Draco did mention that Selwyn's father was a Death Eater." Wednesday agreed.

Wiping his brow, Slughorn hated himself for his feelings on the matter. Minerva was beside herself with panic over her missing Gryffindors, and here he was, knowing two of his Slytherins were dead, yet he couldn't help but feel relief.

"Okay you two." Slughorn began, as he secured the door to his office with his wand. "Tell me exactly what happened, and I'll see what I can do."

-o-o-

"You know... It was pretty hypocritical of you to kill Nott, and right after telling me I shouldn't have killed Sellwyn too." Harry pointed out as he walked with his fiancée toward the Hufflepuff dorms.

"He tried to memory charm me, what would you have done?" Wednesday asked, already knowing the answer.

The smile that had been on his face melted away, and his eyes narrowed as he growled, "He did what?"

"Exactly." She nodded, then sighed in frustration. "And I had just resharpened my dagger. Now I'll have to do it all over again. Maybe I should have just broken his neck, Susan is going to ask questions, and I don't think she's ready for the answers. Maybe I can distract her... Do you mind that I've been pushing her toward revenge killing Voldemort?"

"Why would I mind?" Harry asked, genuinely confused.

Wednesday shook her head and groaned. "I've been picking up some bad habits in Hufflepuff, everyone is so unbelievably polite... It will be good to go back home and get away from all the cheerful kindness. I've been trying to fix my house's attitude, but it's like trying to drown a cat with a teaspoon of water."

"I'm sure you'll manage, you've done well with those three so far." Harry pointed out as three very serious looking first-years headed toward them.

The little girl in the lead held out a folded piece of parchment when she got close enough. "Some Gryffindor girl wanted to make sure you got this Wednesday."

"Thank you Tina, have you three been practicing?" Wednesday asked as she unfolded the parchment and began to read.

"Madam Pomfrey made us stop when Danny managed to break one of my ribs." Tina looked down, seemingly disappointed, then she looked up with a proud smile. "I didn't cry this time, even though it really hurt."

A glint of anger flashed in Wednesday's eyes as she folded the note back up, then she smiled warmly at the little Hufflepuff. "That's good. Remember, pain is your friend. You don't have to stop, just don't go to the infirmary anymore. Find another way to heal if you need to, or worst case scenario, go easier on each other."

Harry grinned as the three firsties ran off. "She's going to grow up to be a maneater isn't she. Those two are already following her around like little puppies."

Nodding as her emotionless expression returned, she handed the note to Harry. "I have high hopes for those three. Hopefully Danny and David will grow up to be ladykillers as well."

As Harry read the note, his expression darkened.

-o-o-

Auror Proudfoot pinched the bridge of his nose. The war was going bad enough as it was, that children were getting involved was just too much. He had just finished listening to Professor Slughorn's account of the death of two students in his house. Headmaster Tofty was nearly in tears, but Proudfoot was so jaded at this point, that the whole thing merely gave him a headache.

Sighing, Proudfoot reached for Nott's wand. "The Dark Mark is fairly damning evidence as it is, at least for Mister Nott, but just to be thorough I'll need to check the boys' wands. I'll need the other two wands involved as well."

"There's little point to that. Neither Mister Black, nor his fiancée used a wand to defend themselves." Slughorn pointed out, then continued before the auror could insist. "I have Mister Black's wand here. He has nothing to hide, but I'm afraid Miss Addams simply doesn't have a wand to check."

Taking the offered wand, Proudfoot fixed Slughorn with a disbelieving glare. "I understand wanting to protect one of your little projects, but this is very serious. I need the girl's wand."

"Professor Slughorn is correct, Miss Addams does not own a wand." Headmaster Tofty interrupted. "At first I was going to stop her matriculation, but none of her courses require a wand. I believe it goes against family tradition to use one, I never did get a straight answer."

Letting the matter drop for the moment, Auror Proudfoot examined the three wands, frowning at the results. "I suppose it doesn't matter. With unforgivables cast by the deceased, they would have been sentenced harshly anyway. Mister Black's wand is clean, so this incident appears to be fairly straightforward. I still would like to interview Addams and Black."

"Is that truly necessary?" Slughorn asked, looking concerned for the students in question. "The children have been through a lot. They've had enough difficulty telling me what happened, and both Mister Black and his fiancée are horrified and sickened by what they had to do. Taking a life, even in self-defense, is a devastating thing. They're both putting on a brave front, but it's best to leave them be."

Tofty nodded in agreement. "The well-being of my students is my highest priority. There has been enough suffering, and I ask that unless it is absolutely necessary, please don't force them to relive their ordeal."

-o-o-

Author's note:

To den123456 reviewing chapter 20: Halloween just felt like the perfect time for Harry to pop the question.

I haven't decided what Dumbledore will do yet. Hopefully I'll do justice to not only his desperation, but his considerable talent.

The séance didn't last very long, so in a very real sense, everything about it was rushed. James got bombarded with a lot of information about Harry and his friends, and reacted poorly. I don't think considering his character one dimensional is a bad thing in this situation. There is more to him and his motivations, but there wasn't any time for anything but a knee-jerk reaction. Had Harry not run off we would have seen more, but said knee-jerk reaction really hurt Harry, and he reacted poorly to his father's poor reaction.

You're welcome. I try to respond to nearly every review, to show my appreciation for the feedback.

I've noticed that I have a tendency to not realize that I haven't sufficiently explained or alluded to a characters motivation. I know most everything about who my characters are, and how they'll react, so I'll sometimes forget that the reader doesn't.

I once wrote a thank you letter that was meant to be gracious and articulate. This was way back in grade school, and my misuse of some words made the letter sound very condescending and sarcastic. Not my finest moment, but it serves to show that what is intended, and what is, can be wildly different. This is particularly true in writing, because people almost never write the same way that they speak.

To Gravin X reviewing chapter 20: I'm glad you liked the chapter so much. I particularly enjoyed writing the entire CoS scene, from murder to proposal to the aftermath.

I have pages of notes regarding the upcoming wedding, and considering the thought going into it, I really hope that it turns out decent. As of right now, the guest list is just friends and family. Voldemort is at best an associate, so I don't see him getting an invite at this point. The wedding is still months away, so Voldemort's status could change. Time will tell. I hadn't thought about Lucius Malfoy attending. Considering Harry views Draco as both friend and family, I suppose it's possible.

To Spuffylover19 reviewing chapter 20: I was hoping that some people would be surprised. :)

Canon Harry would react to his father's rejection with angst, and would probably break some stuff in anger. My Harry takes it a step or three further, intentionally wallowing in his misery, and instead of an act of vandalism, he commits murder.

If any of them were going to react poorly, it was going to be James.

I don't know that Lily was exactly happy to meet Wednesday, but she certainly accepted the situation as it was, knowing that she couldn't change it, and because she loves her son unconditionally.

Sirius was kind of pulled every which way, he didn't know what to do or say for the most part.

Draco is starting to become a solid supporting character, so you'll probably see more of him, but I can't make any promises.

I'm not sure when Remus will make his next appearance. Hopefully sooner, but if nothing else, he's certainly going to be invited to the wedding.

To Guest reviewing chapter 20: If Harry was cheating, the wizarding world would be down one boy-who-lived.

I'm not sure I could bring myself to write even a 'what if' scene where Harry was cheating on Wednesday. The whole story is kind of built around their relationship.

The Wedding will be during the winter break, so hopefully you won't have to wait too many chapters for it. It's only two months away.

Part of why Draco and Millicent get along so well, is that neither one views the other as acceptable dating material. By all means, feel free to ship them yourself, but it is very doubtful that they'll get together in my story.

James reacted poorly, no doubt about that, but if he had more time to mull over the situation, he might have taken back his hurtful words. If you read the bonus chapter, you got added insight into James' character.


	23. Quidditch season

Author's note: Well now, I've finally managed to cobble together another chapter. Those who've looked at my profile know that my laptop had a bit of an accident. It turns out that computers can't drink coffee, who knew? Thankfully, once it dried out I managed to salvage almost all of my notes. Now, despite real life distractions, the steady influx of new readers and reviews have shamed... er... inspired me to find more time to write.

As always, thank you for reading, and special thanks to those who review.

-o-o-

Chapter 23

Quidditch Season

-o-o-

 _ **Chaos at the Ministry**_

 _Jacob Truman_

 _Early this morning, Death Eaters managed to infiltrate the Ministry of Magic. Three of the masked terrorists managed to make their way to the DMLE holding cells before they were discovered. Their apparent goal was to break out the notoriously deranged Bellatrix Lestrange, who was scheduled to be transferred to the newly fortified Azkaban later this week._

 _Aurors Dawlish and Yaxley confronted the masked Death Eaters, but were unable to stop the three dark wizards. Auror John Dawlish lost his life in the ensuing skirmish, and Auror Archelaus Yaxley was gravely injured. Yaxley is currently in stable condition at Saint Mungo's. He is expected to make a full recovery. Aurors Shacklebolt and Tonks were able to arrive in time to save Yaxley, but were too late to prevent Lestrange's escape._

 _The four Death Eaters made good their escape, but not before assassinating Minister Scrimgeour, who was in a conference with the Head of the DMLE, Pius Thicknesse. Thicknesse was knocked unconscious during the assassination, and thought dead by the terrorists, who made their escape through the floo in Thicknesse's office._

 _An investigation is underway to discover how the Death Eaters managed to remain undetected for so long. We received this statement from the DMLE: "It is too early in our investigation to say for certain, but we believe that the imperius curse was used in the infiltration. Steps are being taken to counter future use of the unforgivable."_

 _In an emergency Wizengamot session, Pius Thicknesse has been named interim minister. A long time supporter of Minister Scrimgeour, Thicknesse is expected to continue the late minister's efforts to combat he-who-must-not-be-named on every level. Interim Minister Thicknesse could not be reached for comment._

 _Rufus Scrimgeour: A lifetime fighting the darkness – page 3_

 _John Dawlish: A hero remembered – page 5_

 _Bellatrix Lestrange: Britain's most dangerous witch – page 8_

-o-o-

"Interesting, I didn't know Bella had been captured. I wonder how I missed it." Harry commented lightly during breakfast at the Slytherin table. "You'd think they would have been bragging about that."

Luna placed a copy of the Quibbler on top of Harry's copy of the Prophet. "Rita Skeeter's article says it's supposedly because they were waiting until she was moved to the new Azkaban. Obviously she's mistaken, Bellatrix was never actually captured, this was just an opportunity for the Rotfang conspirators to finish their coup. Scrimgeour was blocking their bid for power, and now they've replaced him with one of their own. It's all laid out on page four."

"Hmm..." Harry wondered if Luna's conspiracy theory might have more than a grain of truth to it as he continued reading the Prophet, occasionally comparing it to the Quibbler's account. "The name Yaxley is familiar... pretty sure he's one of Voldemort's. It makes me doubt that either of these articles are entirely true."

"If you're patient, you can ask someone who was there for a more accurate account." Wednesday slid a small piece of parchment in front of Harry. "These are the only people I could think of to invite to our wedding, except for my family of course. Both Bellatrix and Nymphadora are on that list, and you could probably ask either one. Add anyone I missed, so that I can send out invitations."

-o-o-

Headmaster Tofty was hard at work, preparing various plans to make the school safer, when his office door opened. "Make it quick Elphias. I have a lot of work to do, and little time to do it before the board meets to discuss the safety of my students."

"That is exactly why I am here Solomon." Elphias Doge explained with a steady voice, there was no way he would admit that Tofty acknowledging who he was without even looking up unnerved him. Over a century old, but in that moment he felt as if he was a thirteen-year-old troublemaker again. "Albus and I thought it best to give you a chance to step down gracefully, before they crucify you."

That statement stilled Tofty's quill, and the elderly wizard looked up to meet the gaze of Dumbledore's oldest ally. "Step down? If the board decides that I'm unfit then so be it, but that decision has nothing to do with you, and even less to do with Albus."

"It's plain to see that removing Albus was a tragic mistake. The last student death was during Headmaster Dippet's time. For the entirety of Albus' tenure as headmaster, every student who entered Hogwarts, left very much alive." Doge shook his head sadly. "Such a shame... It's not truly your fault of course, you simply don't have the knowledge and insight that Albus does."

With a stoney face, Tofty's brow furrowed slightly. "What do you mean by that, what knowledge?"

"As I said, it's nothing against you Solomon. It's just that you don't know which students come from misguided families. Albus would have kept a close eye on the Nott and Selwyn boys, among others." Doge pointed out.

"Misguided... A dark mark was found on Theodore Nott. Are you implying that Albus knows which students have Death Eater connections?" Tofty ground his teeth. Due to political maneuvering, most suspected Death Eater names were suppressed after Riddle died. "Never mind, of course he knows. Why, with the second rise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, did he not let me know? I had nothing to do with the trials, and I had nothing to do with the war. One of the only students that I know has ties to those terrorists, is Draco Malfoy, and that's only because his father's conviction was so scandalous and public. Considering the boy is friends with The-Boy-Who-Lived himself, I'm fairly certain that he isn't following his father's example."

"Well, you can't expect Albus to hold your hand after he was so rudely removed from office." Doge countered, not bothering to pay attention to the mood of the other wizard.

Tofty stood, and spoke in a frosty tone. "I think that regardless of whether or not I remain headmaster, Albus will never sit in this chair again. Get out, and tell Albus that Selwyn and Nott's blood is on his hands. If he has any sense left, then he will let me know which of my students are at risk of being recruited as Death Eaters."

Doge looked shaken, he had expected this visit to end quite differently. For the first time, he started to wonder if perhaps Albus might actually be in the wrong this time. Without another word, he started to leave.

"Oh and Elphias," Tofty called out angrily before Doge had walked too far. "You and Albus may have already forgotten young Mister Diggory, but I assure you Amos has not, nor have I"

"Th-that was during the Tri-wizard tournament. Technically, he wasn't attending school when it happened." Doge found himself responding automatically before ducking his head, and rushing to leave the castle.

-o-o-

Lost in thought, Harry had a neutral expression as he made his way to the quidditch pitch for the first game of the year. It took him a moment to realize that his new chaser, Demelza Robins, was walking alongside him.

"Shouldn't you be with Katie and Ginny, going over your formations and hand signals?" Harry asked, wanting to get back to his contemplation on what exactly he should do about McLaggen.

"I'll find them in a bit, I just had to talk with you for a second." The young chaser looked nervous as she picked at the trim of her robes. "I already wrote a note to warn your girlfriend... sorry, fiancée... but I figured I'd warn you in person, same house and all, you know?"

"Ah, so you're the Gryffindor girl they were talking about." His eyes widened in understanding, before narrowing along with a frown. "This Vane girl... your friend?"

Demelza started to answer one way, before reconsidering mid-word. "Ye-no, I guess not. I mean, we're roomates and we get along, so kinda." She let out a long sigh, and looked Harry in the eyes. "I just wanted to warn you guys, and make sure if you retaliate with a prank, you leave the rest of us out of it."

Harry's frown turned up into a smirk. "Don't worry, Vane and McLaggen are the only ones who have something coming their way."

"Thanks Harry!" Demelza smiled brightly as she hurried off to meet with her fellow chasers. This will hopefully teach Romilda a lesson. Maybe the impulsive girl will start thinking twice before acting on a bad idea next time.

-o-o-

Like in years past, Draco hovered face to face with Harry while they waited for Madam Hooch to start the match. Ironically, even though this was the first time he didn't view Harry as an enemy, this was also the first time he was afraid of the other seeker.

"Hey Draco, I have a favor to ask." Harry spoke softly to not let his voice carry. "See if you can't get Crabbe and Goyle to smash McLaggen's face in a few times before I catch the snitch."

Confused, Draco looked over Harry's shoulder to see the Gryffindor keeper showboating before the game. "That can be arranged, but why?If you want someone hurt, I have a hard time believing you don't want to do it yourself."

"True, but when it comes to that I want to take my time." Harry shrugged, then grinned widely. "Besides, maybe if you disable my keeper, you'll have a slight chance of winning."

Draco's eye twitched at the taunt, the whistle blew, and Harry rocketed past on his ascent to search for the snitch. Cursing, Draco circled around the pitch. Flying alongside each of his beaters for several seconds, he continuously searched for a glint of gold as he gave them instructions. Even if they weren't enemies anymore, Draco would be damned if he let the scar-head beat him again.

On average, the Slytherin quidditch players were bigger, stronger, and meaner than the other house's players. The three Gryffindor girls, fully aware of this, took advantage of their more graceful forms. Where the boys in green would abandon finesse and just power through, the girls would sometimes literally fly circles around their opponents on the way to the hoops.

Coote, the smallest beater in the air, surprisingly gave the Gryffindors an edge where the bludgers were concerned. Peakes, Crabbe, and Goyle were all powerhouses, but Coote was a marksman. More than once, he was able to knock the quaffle right out of the Slytherin chaser's hands.

Technically McLaggen was the better keeper, but his need to show off made him let through goals that should have been relatively easy saves. The Slytherin keeper, while not as good, was completely focused, and managed to hold his own against the Gryffindor chasers.

Despite the wildly different tactics and skill levels, both teams were hard pressed to gain a decent advantage over the other. Fifteen minutes into the match, and the score was dead even at a forty point tie.

Time seemed to slow for Goyle as a bludger headed straight for him. An absolutely perfect shot was lining itself up, and all he had to do was swing. With the rest of the match shut out of his mind, the resounding -crack- of bat meeting bludger was musical to the brutish boy. The iron ball rocketed down the pitch, and Katie's eyes widened in fear for half a moment at the approaching bludger. Seasoned player that she was, Katie rolled out of the way without losing her grip on the quaffle.

McLaggen was congratulating himself for a save, and smiling brightly, sure that several girls in the stands were admiring his considerable talents. Something at the edge of his vision caught his attention, and he turned just in time to catch the oncoming bludger with his teeth.

Many of the onlookers cringed as McLaggen was knocked off of his broom, and into one of the hoops, finally landing face-first in the grass. Wincing at the keepers misfortune, Madam Hooch sped over to check on his well-being. Carefully rolling him onto his side, she noted that he was breathing, but not conscious. His face was a mess. Even with blood everywhere it was clear that his nose was shattered, and he was missed several teeth. Hooch knew that Poppy was going to really tear into her over this one, especially since she wasn't going to interrupt the game or take Mister McLaggen to receive treatment. The rules were clear: since the bludger was clearly aimed at the chaser with the quaffle, there was no foul regardless of the resulting injury. An unfortunate accident, but an accident nonetheless.

-o-o-

Up in the stands, Wednesday watched the match with disinterest. Admittedly the occasional bludger striking a player was somewhat amusing, but it was all too far away to truly appreciate.

Susan sat next to Wednesday. Having insisted that her roommate should watch her fiancé play, she came along as well. "What do you think of your first quidditch game? I know in the States you guys prefer quodpot."

"My family prefers more engaging sports, fencing and the like." Wednesday replied, stifling a yawn. "I didn't even know that there were broom sports until I came here."

"Well, once the snitch shows up it should get more exciting. For some reason, whenever Harry plays something crazy tends to happen." She held up a bag of assorted sweets. "Want anything?"

Looking down at the offered treat, Wednesday shook her head and took out a small bag filled with greenish brown leaves. "I've brought my own. I've had a taste for these lately."

Recalling her eccentric roommate's lethal tastes regarding food, Susan politely declined. The two girls turned their attention back to the match. With the Gryffindor's hoops undefended, the score had swung heavily in favor of Slytherin, and the gap was steadily widening as the Lions desperately tried to rally.

-o-o-

Nearby in the announcer's stand, Professor McGonagall shook her head in disgust. Not able to watch the slaughter, she let her eyes roam the stands. The small grouping of yellow-trimmed robes drew her attention, and she focused on her star player's fiancée. The transfiguration mistress frowned, she would have to have a few words with Miss Addams after the match. Hopefully she was mistaken about what she just saw the girl put in her mouth.

A roar erupting from the crowd jolted Professor McGonagall out of her thoughts, and she swung back to watch the match as the new student announcer tried to articulate what was happening.

"It seems as if Black has seen the snitch! Diving into the opposing chaser's formation without hesitation, he's scattered the surprised Slytherins. I still don't see the tell-tale flash of gold, but Black is weaving in and around the other players as if he's hot on its trail."

All eyes focused on Harry. Darting about, he sometimes missed colliding with other fliers by less than an inch. Those within earshot could tell that he was laughing merrily.

"Gryffindor scores! In the confusion caused by Black's erratic flying, Weasley managed to snag the quaffle and easily put it through the left hoop."

"The Slytherin team is trying to regain their lost momentum, but Black seems to be everywhere at once, causing confusion and chaos. I hear cries of foul, but I'd like to remind everyone that it's only a foul if Black collides with the quaffle or one of the other players."

"Black is really pushing that Firebolt of his to its limits as he continuously interrupts Every Slytherin chaser's run for a goal."

"Even with an open goal, Gryffindor is making a comeback! The Lions still trail eighty to one hundred thirty, but it's no longer looking like a sure victory for the Snakes!"

-o-o-

At first Draco couldn't believe it, Harry had practically thrown the game by asking Crabbe and Goyle to take out McLaggen. It was looking like even the snitch wouldn't make a difference in a few more minutes.

Then the tables turned, and it was looking like Gryffindor would reverse the lead before long. Draco had of course heard of seekers who took a more direct role in the scoring, but he never thought it happened outside of the professional circuit.

Scowling, Draco watched Harry fly about, ruining Slytherin's dominating lead. As Harry's manic laughter floated up to where Draco was circling, his eyes widened with an epiphany. He redoubled his efforts to find the snitch, blocking out the bedlam below.

-o-o-

Putting aside thoughts of the now finished quidditch match, Professor McGonagall swiftly made her way through the dispersing crowd of students, hoping to head off a potential disaster. "Miss Addams, come with me."

Wednesday raised her brow in curiosity. There wasn't any reason she could think of for the transfiguration professor to talk to her. Well, nothing that could be traced back to her anyway. "What do you need professor?" She asked as she separated from her roommate.

The stern-faced professor remained silent until they had walked some distance from the crowd. With a look that brooked no nonsense, she questioned the stoic teenager. "Is there something you'd like to tell me Miss Addams?"

"No, I had thought you wanted to talk with me." Wednesday responded sincerely.

McGonagall allowed her features to soften slightly. "I am a transfiguration mistress, and a registered animagus as well. I know exactly what you're trying to do with that mandrake leaf, and without proper supervision it is exceedingly dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Wednesday pulled the small bag of leaves from her robes. "I know they're poisonous, but I'd hardly call them dangerous. To be honest, belladonna leaves taste better, but I can't find any."

"Am I to understand that you've been eating mandrake leaves?" McGonagall asked incredulously.

"Of course, what else would I do with them?" Wednesday slid her snack back into the folds of her robes. "Besides use them as potion ingredients of course."

The transfiguration professor spluttered as she tried to wrap her mind around the situation. "I was expecting that you were attempting to become an animagus, not kill yourself."

"It takes far more than a few deadly leaves to kill an Addams." The girl said seriously. "It takes a great deal of dedication, and quite a bit of luck."

Wednesday paused, and looked thoughtful as she considered the professor's words. "What determines an animagus' form? Is it random, or could I choose the animal?"

"Your animal-self, if you have one, is an innate part of you. In many ways it reflects who you truly are. There is nothing to choose." McGonagall responded automatically, before she returned to her primary concern. "None of that matters right now. You and I are going to the infirmary immediately."

"You can't be serious." Wednesday deadpanned.

"I assure you young lady, I am always serious." The elder witch pointed toward the castle with her wand. "Now march, or I'll levitate you there myself."

-o-o-

Draco felt almost numb as he finished changing out of his quidditch robes. The walk back to the dungeons went by in a haze as he replayed the match over and over in his head. Despite everything, he still couldn't believe it... He won. He actually beat Harry to the snitch.

The world came slowly back into focus as a drink was placed in his hand. He had made it back to the common room without realizing it, and most of the house was celebrating. The goblet almost made it to his lips before he paused. A healthy dose of paranoia had him check the drink with his wand first. It was an unneeded precaution, but the results did make him hesitate further as he noticed Professor Slughorn watching.

"I think the firewhiskey was meant for someone else." Draco commented dryly as he moved to hand it to one of the wizards who was of age.

Slughorn chuckled, and adopted a look of innocence. "I'm sure you must be mistaken Mister Malfoy. I wouldn't let one of my snakes bring firewhiskey in here, only mulled cider and butterbeer."

Pushing the drink back to Draco, Blaise whispered in an amused tone. "He means it too. He brought the whiskey in himself. Slughorn might not favor us like Snape did, but he's not that bad either."

Scoffing, Draco took a large sip of the burning liquor. "Easy for you to say Zabini. You're in his little club. Not to mention that your father doesn't have a certain tattoo on his forearm."

"For all I know he might." Blaise pointed out dryly. "The only thing about my father that I'm certain of, is that he's not alive."

-o-o-

"I really wouldn't worry about it Minerva." Madam Pomfrey stressed as they watched Wednesday's robes disappear around the corner. "Some people are simply immune to certain poisons."

"She threw up blood Poppy, blood!" McGonagall gestured at the crimson splatter on the stones that had yet to be cleaned.

"A reaction to the antidote, not the mandrake leaves themselves. If you had told me it was Miss Addams, I would not have given you that potion." Pomfrey sighed. "My fault I suppose. I should have stepped away from Mister McLaggen for a moment, to administer the potion myself."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, the Scottish witch reminded herself how long she'd known the resident medi-witch. "What is so special about Miss Addams?"

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure." She admitted ruefully. "I preformed a basic physical when it turned out that she'd never had one before. I don't quite understand how or why, but she's fairly unique. I wouldn't be surprised to find there's a magical creature or two in her family tree."

McGonagall glanced toward the groundskeeper's hut. "Is that why Pomona says she's so haphazard with her courses? Is Miss Addams like Rubeus? Does she honestly not realize what is or isn't considered dangerous?"

Pomfrey shrugged. "It could be. I wasn't expecting the bad reaction to an antidote, but I seriously doubt any simple poison could hurt her, not with her constitution. Her vomiting shouldn't be an issue either, even with the blood, but I'll ask Pomona to keep an eye on her just in case."

-o-o-

The Gryffindor common room was subdued. Most everyone couldn't actually believe that Harry had lost to Malfoy. The only seeker to ever beat their star player, was Cedric Diggory, and even then it was because Harry had fallen off his broom from dementor exposure. It wasn't long until the inevitable grumblings, turned to outright blaming Harry Potter-turned-Black for throwing the game.

Seamus walked over to the on-again off-again pariah, who was quietly talking with Hermione. "Don't listen to any of them Harry. There are professionals who don't fly half as well as you. You just got a little carried away trying to make up for a downed keeper."

"Hmm?" Harry looked up. "Yeah... I'm a bit annoyed that I lost, but you're right, I did get carried away. It was hard work not plowing right into people. There were more than a few times I was really tempted."

"Right..." Seamus looked puzzled for a moment, but figured he must have misunderstood. "Well there are enough of us that know you'd never lose on purpose."

"You're usually one of the people who don't believe Harry, one of the more vocal actually." Hermione pointed out with curiosity. "Why not now?"

The Irish boy scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well... He's always turned out to have been telling the truth the whole time... and well, now that You-know-who is back, Dumbledore's gone, and students are disappearing..." He sighed. "I figured I need to grow up now, or I might not ever get a chance to."

"Never mind that that was just about word for word what I told him earlier." Dean pointed out as he walked over, catching the tale end of the conversation. "Either way, it's just a game. I've got your back too mate, but I came over to tell you that your fiancée is in the hall asking for you."

-o-o-

"If Professor Slughorn hadn't shown us that amortentia, I might have thought these wretched things had actually been a gift from you like my roommates thought." Wednesday tossed a box of cauldron cakes onto the bench where the two sat. "As things are, we should do something to thank the girl who warned us."

"Really? You thought I would get you chocolates?" Harry looked down at the offending sweets, and frowned.

Wednesday shrugged. "They smell like they've been poisoned."

"Fair enough I suppose." He figured that made sense. "Anyways... Demelza, that's the girl who warned us, just wants us to avoid collateral damage when we retaliate. I've been talking with Hermione, and we've come up with a decent plan."

"Do we really need a plan?" She countered. "I thought we'd just abduct the two responsible, and see what feels right once we have some privacy."

"That does sound fun, but we were thinking about doing something right away to start." A mischievous glint shone in Harry's eyes, that would have made both his father and godfather proud. "After all, they've gone through so much trouble to lace these cauldrons with love potion. It would be a shame if they went to waste."

A raised eyebrow was the only response he received, so he lowered his voice further, and whispered in her ear.

Her face remained placid until he finished explaining, at which point she turned to stare at him. "Your friend is sick and disturbed. Does she need help?"

"I don't think so. She seemed pretty confident, but I'm sure the two of you can work together on it." He grinned ruefully. "I'll stay out of it. I think I'd just get in the way."

-o-o-

Dumbledore sat silently, staring at a pile of parchment. Each piece of parchment was covered with various half-concocted plans to bring Harry back to the light. It was absolutely vital that he save Harry from himself before it was too late. The dark was growing ever-stronger, and now even Elphias was questioning him. Harry was the key, the child of prophecy that would rally decent witches and wizards to do what was right.

With his most loyal having been turned against him, Dumbledore knew he was alone in this fight. The others would return in time, and he would welcome them back to the light magnanimously, but for now he was the wizarding world's only hope. A great burden, but one he had shouldered in the past. At least this time he would not have to confront the man he loved.

He removed his spectacles, and rubbed his tired eyes. As pressing as the issue was, simply staring at his notes would do no good. Dumbledore decided a break was in order, and shifted the sheets of parchment off to the side. Returning another day, with fresh eyes and a clear head, would make all the difference.

After spreading another pile out in front of him, and picking up a photograph, he sighed as he shifted gears. "Where have you hidden your soul Tom?"

Standing proud in the photograph was a young Tom Riddle in his seventh year at Hogwarts. Smiling confidently, Riddle uncrossed his arms to wave, and Dumbledore found himself staring intently at the boy's other hand. He rushed, almost madly, to grab his wand before Riddle decided to cross his arms again, or leave the photo. With a tap of his wand, Dumbledore froze the photograph, and pulled out a magnifying glass to focus on a ring that adorned the boy's hand.

Shaking, he let the magnifying glass fall to the desk. The final hallow, the only one that mattered, was in Tom's hands. If he wasn't mistaken, the foolish boy had even turned the ornate ring into a horcrux. With renewed vigor, he fervently returned to his research. An artifact as powerful as the stone might even remain untainted by Tom's dark magic. As Dumbledore poured over his notes, he thought how he could separate hallow from horcrux prior to bringing the ring to Thicknesse for destruction.

-o-o-

Half of the great hall fell silent to watch as Romilda Vane ran through, crying, on her way back to Gryffindor tower.

"Any idea what that's about?" Katie questioned through a mouthful of toast, pointing toward the retreating girl with her fork.

"Not really..." Neville trailed off as he tried to put together what he'd seen. "She and McLaggen were snogging pretty seriously, they ducked out of the room, then she came tearing through covered in vomit..."

Not looking up from her own breakfast, Hermione nodded. "She and Cormac are beginning to reap what they have sown."

"What did you do?" Neville looked at Hermione with wide eyes. "Hang on, what did they do?"

"They tried to use amortentia to ensnare Harry and Wednesday. I helped turn their plans around, with a little twist." Hermione looked up with a smug smile. "I was sure it would work, but confirmation is always a good thing."

Katie swallowed the last of her toast. "That explains the snogging, that stuff is supposed to be pretty strong. The crying and vomit though... What did you add to it?"

"Wednesday and I added a potion of our own that tweaked the amortentia." Hermione explained, proud of their success. "While they're apart, the love potion should work like it's supposed to; if they're together in public, the potion is quite a bit more potent; and if they're together in private, the potion will induce extreme nausea and feelings of revulsion. The feelings of disgust should last about ten minutes or so before the amortentia reasserts itself."

Failing to hold back a laugh, Katie snickered into her hand. "That is hilarious. It couldn't happen to a nicer creep either. I suppose the girl deserves it too. Those potions are bad enough normally, but using a love potion on someone engaged to be married? I knew he was stupid, but I didn't know McLaggen was that stupid."

Neville looked between the smug witch and the giggling one, and sighed. "Every witch I know is bloody scary."

"Aww, don't worry Neville. we like you. You should be mostly safe, mostly." Katie teased.

-o-o-

"It's good to see you Nymphadora, what brings you to Hogwarts?"

She waited until Professor McGonagall closed the door and walked away, before grabbing Harry by his collar. "Did you have anything to do with it?"

"It?" Harry looked confused as he thought about what might have set off the metamorphmagus.

"Lestrange! I swear if you knew, or somehow helped..."

He remained confused for a moment, before understanding dawned on him. "Oh! Bella's escape, I had no idea she'd even been caught in the first place. I wanted to ask you about that anyway, I'm sure the newspapers aren't telling the whole story."

Tonks stared at him in silence, then slumped her shoulders slightly. "I had her... She was going to Azkaban for good this time..."

"You had her?" Making no effort to escape his cousin's grip, he looked at her quizzically. "Are you telling me you're the one who caught her this time? Good for you Nymphadora! I didn't think you were that good."

A fire lit in her eyes, and her hair flared. Tightening her grip, she growled dangerously. "I told you I wasn't bluffing. Now let's get things straight, I don't care that you're the head of my family, I wouldn't care if you were bloody Merlin. My. Name. Is. Tonks!"

Grinning, Harry chuckled.

Tonks let him go and stepped backward. "You actually want me to hex you... Merlin Harry, what is wrong with you?"

"Nothing at all." He smiled brightly as he smoothed out his robes. "Now, about the escape. What happened? The paper said you were there. If you caught her, why couldn't you keep her?"

Sighing in frustration, she let herself fall into a nearby chair. "I dropped my guard... I was dueling her, and she was laughing madly like always, but then her attitude shifted. She rubbed her stomach, proudly bragging that she was going to have twins, that her child would be the first new Black. I hesitated, and she nailed me with a curse that sent me arse over teakettle."

"That's fantastic news!" Harry clapped joyfully. "Narcissa will probably follow soon enough, and if your mother is anything like her sisters, it won't be long until you're a big sister."

"Yeah, wonderful." Tonks voiced woodenly as her hair darkened to a mousy brown. "One big psychotic family."

"Exactly." He agreed sincerely.

-o-o-

Author's notes: Thanks again for all of the reviews and messages, almost every single one is appreciated. If I don't respond in some way, chances are it's a reflection on my poor organization, rather than any lack of appreciation.

To Den123456 reviewing chapter 22: Romilda is actively trying to steal Harry away from Wednesday, and McLaggen is helping. I think you already know what the results are going to be, it's just most of the details that you'll have to wait on. ;)

I wanted people to see that James really wasn't as bad as I had portrayed him. We all have bad moments after all.

To Guest reviewing chapter 22: I'm happy to brighten your day with my disturbed sense of humor.

I suppose that it doesn't matter if you like James or not, either way he's already dead.

The frightening shift in Harry's personality has made Draco much less brash. He's actually acting like a Slytherin now, and it's working quite well for him. Chances were that Draco would not have been good enough to take out Nott himself.

They visit Myrtle relatively often, most of the time it's off-screen though. Almost every time they go to the Chamber of Secrets, they stop and chat.

Aren't the trio of firsties adorable? Wednesday got to them at a nice impressionable age. :)

To Luvrofmoonlight reviewing chapter 22: Sadly, Joel Glicker is naught but a memory. His family was horrified when Wednesday tried to take his heart as a keepsake, so they made sure his body was kept far away from any Addams. I don't think Joel was magical either, so he wouldn't be able to be a ghost. The only way he could show up would be if his spirit was forcibly summoned.

To BumpsInTheNight reviewing chapter 22: I take it as a big compliment that you don't like gore, but still like my version of Harry.

To Guest reviewing chapter 21: Harry's blood didn't destroy Voldemort during his resurrection for the same reason it didn't in canon, whatever that might be. My guess is that the magic of the ritual protected Voldemort temporarily until the ritual itself gave him complete protection from Harry's touch.


	24. There will be blood

WARNING: Nothing sexy, but as the title says, there will be blood... quite a lot.

Author's note: -tosses bloody surgical gloves to the side- Whew, if any of you have sympathy for Cormac McLaggen or Romilda Vane, you might want to skip parts of this chapter. The rest of you have been calling for blood, and I have provided.

Thank you to everyone for reading my twisted tale, and I'm especially thankful for those who take the time to review. You're the ones who keep me coming back to write.

-o-o-

Chapter 24

There will be blood

-o-o-

"So, um, who's going to be at your wedding? It's not just Wednesday's family right?" Neville asked Harry as they descended Gryffindor tower, heading toward the thestral-drawn carriages. "Not that there's anything wrong with her family, just... I don't think I'd fit in too well with them."

Harry chuckled. "Fitting in is overrated, but I'm sure they'll love you. To answer your question though, of course it's not just her family, mine will be there too. Then there's a few of our friends from Hogwarts like you. Luna and Hermione will be there, and I'm pretty sure Millicent is coming. I think Wednesday wants Susan to come, but I don't know if she's said yes."

"It still feels weird that you're friends with Sytherins now. Come to think of it, I'm surprised you didn't invite Malfoy." Neville paused as his mind put things together. "Oh! Your family, you mean the Blacks... That's what, just Draco and his mum right?"

"There aren't many, but the Malfoys, the Tonkses, and the Lestranges will all be there." Harry smiled as he thought about Bellatrix's pregnancy. The Black family has shrunk, but it was already beginning to recover.

Realizing that he was walking alone, Harry paused and looked back to see Neville frozen mid-step. "Problem Neville?"

"Lestrange." Neville forced the name out through gritted teeth as his face contorted with hatred. "You consider those monsters family? They all need to die, every one of them!"

"We all need to die Neville." Harry pointed out jovially. "Voldemort's the only one who's trying to get out of that one."

"This isn't funny Harry, you know what those psychopaths did to my parents." Neville's hand twitched toward his wand, held back only by the slight hope that he was misunderstanding his friend.

Shrugging, Harry clapped Neville on the shoulder. "I think you need a lot of practice before you're ready, but feel free to try and kill them. I would prefer if you waited until after the ceremony though, or at least be discrete about it."

Neville stepped back away from the wizard he no longer felt he knew at all, confusion and disbelief evident on his face.

"I hope to see you there Neville." Harry smiled sincerely. "Oh, Bella is pregnant, so you might want to try and kill Rabastan or Rodolphus first. You know, work your way up."

-o-o-

After having said their goodbyes to Luna and Hermione, Harry and Wednesday began to search the crowd for Lurch.

"Being so tall, you'd think he'd be easier to find." Harry observed as a high pitched squeal rang through platform 9 ¾. "What is that ear-splitting noise?"

Instead of responding, Wednesday pulled Harry in front of her, and stepped to the side. A small hairy missile burst from the crowd, and crashed into his chest, causing him to stumble back. She deftly gathered the small bundle of sleek brown hair into her arms. "You only want to use a war cry when they already know you're coming What."

The armful of hair babbled excitedly in a painfully high-pitched voice. Wednesday listed patiently to the incomprehensible chatter, while Harry strained to understand the distinctly Addams toddler.

"Now What, I know you're excited to see your Cousin Wednesday, but you need to calm down so we can get these two back to Grimmauld Place." A cherubic blonde chided with a honeyed voice. "I mean now, don't make me use the curlers again."

Noticing What stiffen in her arms, Wednesday set the child atop their luggage cart. "You must be the new nanny that Cousin Margaret hired. What seems terrified of you. I'm impressed."

"Please, call me Persephone. Now then, everyone is just so busy preparing for your wedding, so they sent me to pick you three up." With a smile that seemed to be a permanent feature, she looked at both teens, their cart, and the surrounding area. "Where is Thing? I had thought he would be with you."

Wednesday pointed vaguely behind herself. "I think he's still saying goodbye to our friend Luna. He should catch up with us in a minute or so."

Harry shook his head. "No, there's no need to wait for him. Luna wanted him to meet her father, so she promised to mail him to us after she got home."

"Well then, let's get going." Persephone said cheerfully as she clapped her hands together.

"If we have time, there's a quick stop I'd like to make before heading home." Harry mentioned as they headed toward the muggle side of King's Cross.

-o-o-

"I can't believe your friend Harry is getting married. What do you think about it?" Emma Granger probed cautiously.

Hermione looked up from the book that Professor Frump had loaned her. "I wish I knew more about the ceremony. Harry just asked me to stand with him, and Wednesday told me to wear grey accented with red."

Dan Granger stifled a laugh, which earned a glare from his wife. "What your mother means to ask is, are you okay with it? We kind of thought that you two would start dating, and out of nowhere this Wednesday girl comes and snatches him up. You did sound pretty upset about it over the summer."

For a few moments, Hermione revisited her abandoned fantasy of dating Harry. There were so many things she could have done to make Harry see her as something more than a sister. It's a cruel irony that Wednesday is directly responsible for her now being able to do those things.

"Honey?" Emma prompted to break the uncomfortable silence.

"I wasn't upset because Harry started dating. I was upset because I thought that Wednesday was a bad influence on him." Hermione explained after shaking her head. "I was wrong. In fact, he's a much better student now."

"But are you okay?" Dan pushed, intent on hearing an actual answer.

"I'm fine daddy. My best friend is happier than he's ever been."

"What..." Dan wasn't so sure that his daughter actually was fine, but a subtle shake of his wife's head kept him from pressing the issue. "Er, what should we wear then? Do we need to buy robes, or will our normal clothes be fine?"

Hermione thought for a moment, and closed her borrowed recipe/potions book. "I don't think you need to be at the wedding at all. You never really met Harry, and you've never even seen Wednesday."

"If you're sure dear. I guess just let us know where and when we need to drop you off." Emma tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. Her baby was away for too much of the year as it was, and she was nearly an adult already.

"You don't have to do that either. I've been learning to apparate." Hermione dismissed the idea out of hand.

"Apparate?" Both parents questioned.

Hermione smiled. "Think teleportation." Technically she wasn't licensed yet, but she was sure a quick bus ride to the Ministry could change that.

"I thought you weren't allowed to use magic, outside of school, until you turned eighteen. You're still a minor Hermione" Dan pointed out, not enthusiastic about the whole idea.

Shaking her head, Hermione corrected her father. "The magical age of majority is seventeen daddy. I've been an adult for months now."

-o-o-

Three wizards carefully walked a dirt path that would bring them near the former home of the Gaunt family. Knowing that they were close to their destination, Alastor Moody paused to readjust his prosthetic leg. As he cast a super-sensory charm to compensate for his lost eye, he looked between Albus Dumbledore and Kingsley Shacklebolt, glaring at the former. The disgraced wizard seemed far too excited considering the potential danger of the situation.

"This is not going to be a repeat of the last time." Moody growled, focusing on Dumbledore. "No heroics, no amateurs, and no mistakes."

"Are we sure this is the right place?" Shacklebolt felt skeptical. "Up ahead I think I can see where the Gaunt hovel should be. If it is our destination, shouldn't it be hidden by more than an overgrown hedge?"

Moody nodded grimly, and all but whispered his signature phrase. "Constant vigilance. Just because Voldemort didn't hide the bloody place, doesn't mean this'll be easy. I'll bet Galleons to knuts that there's more than enough traps to make up for it."

The hedge appeared to be no barrier at all, as there was a ragged opening large enough to easily pass through. The lack of any discernible trap, magical or otherwise, unnerved Moody to no end. Even Dumbledore looked to be somewhat shaken. From where they stood, it was plain to see that the Gaunt hovel didn't even have a door, let alone a fortified one.

Paranoia increasing with every step, the three wizards slowed their approach to a crawl. Checking and double checking only served to raise doubts.

"It could be part of some bloody complicated misdirection, but I think I know why we haven't found any traps yet." Moody pointed to a mound of vegetation that had a few rotting planks of wood protruding. "It looks like more than a few have been sprung already."

Hobbling to the mound, Moody reached down and pulled up a mossy skull. "Looks like this one managed to disarm a few traps before running out of luck on the door. Could've been working alone, could've had help. There might be live traps inside, or more corpses."

All three understood and feared what Moody hadn't voiced. There was a chance that the horcrux was no longer inside at all, taken away by forces unknown just like the last one. A short, but nerve wracking, walk through the hovel gave them their answer.

Shacklebolt's somber voice broke the maddening silence. "I feel like a monster for saying this, but I am glad to see the final obstacle was too much for this poor wizard."

The ring they sought was on a small table in plain view, with the blackened remains of a man splayed out on the dirt floor below.

Dumbledore chastised Shacklebolt as he waged a war with his own desire to simply grab the prize before him. "I expect better of you Kingsley. The withering curse is a most unpleasant way to die."

"Shack is right to be glad." Moody insisted. "That compulsion is so strong, even I want to grab the damn thing. Seeing the gruesome result makes it just easy enough to ignore."

"We can discuss this in a more appropriate setting. For now, let us finish the job before us." With an almost casual ease, Dumbledore countered the withering curse on the ring, and moved to take it.

If not for the super-sensory charm, Moody would have missed the almost imperceptible shimmer that washed over the ring's stone. "Albus no!"

Using the first spell that came to his mind, a long whip shot out of Moody's wand to wrap around Dumbledore's wrist. Yanking back a touch more forcefully than he should have, Dumbledore was sent stumbling.

"Alastor, what do you think you're doing?" Dumbledore demanded as he dispelled the whip, and rubbed his aching wrist.

"That's no ordinary stone Albus. Withering curse or not, that ring will kill you if you touch it." Moody warned as he moved to deal with the ring himself.

Too close to the prize he'd coveted for nearly a century, Dumbledore lunged for it as he berated his old friend. "The resurrection stone doesn't work that way."

Unsure of what was going on, Shacklebolt could only watch as the disturbing scenario played out in front of him.

Dumbledore's hand closed around the ring, as a red crescent leaped from Moody's wand. An instant before the cutting curse bit into his forearm, Dumbledore screamed in agony. Clutching at his bloody stump as he fell backward, Dumbledore was rendered speechless at the sight of his amputated hand.

The severed appendage shriveled as every drop of blood was siphoned into what he thought was a Deathly Hallow. A sickly green mist spewed from deadly ring, quickly forming a Dark Mark that writhed above the table.

"MOVE!" Moody shouted as he felt the stifling presence of an anti-apparation jinx beginning to form.

Shacklebolts training overrode his confusion, and he acted without thought. Grabbing the stunned ex-professor, he powered them both through the still-forming jinx.

-o-o-

Upon hearing the doorbell, Petunia Dursley adopted what she felt was a welcoming smile. After opening the door, her fake smile was instantly replaced with a far more natural look of disgust.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Petunia hissed angrily. "Go away, you're never stepping foot in this house again."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that Aunt Petunia." Harry assured her. Looking past his aunt, the idyllic house was worse than he'd remembered. "I just stopped to invite you all to my wedding, and introduce you to the woman who will someday be the death of me."

Petunia tried to slam the door in her nephew's face, but the door was stopped dead by a slender girl's outstretched hand.

"I understand that you and your husband are responsible for making my fiancé's childhood a living hell." Wednesday's dead stare, and monotone voice sent chills through Petunia.

"I... we..." Petunia stuttered as her mind blanked. There was something about the pale girl that truly scared her. Cringing, she took a step back.

"You're an inspiration. I can only hope that I'll raise my own children half as well." Wednesday kept her thoughts about the woman's unacceptable housekeeping skills to herself. Everything was so... clean

"Anyway, we have to go." Harry handed his aunt a gilded invitation. "It's a bit short notice, so I understand if you can't come. If I don't see you there, I'll be sure to stop by after the wedding. I want a chance to talk to you all, and thank you for treating me as sub-human rubbish."

As soon as Harry and Wednesday had left, Petunia locked the door. She ran upstairs, barricaded herself in her bedroom, and pulled out her husband's shotgun. Vernon would be home soon, he would know what to do. Tears of anger, fear, and frustration welled up as she huddled in the corner. Why couldn't the freaks just leave her alone?

-o-o-

After several short jumps, Dumbledore, Moody, and Shacklebolt arrived at their relatively safe headquarters. Having regained his senses, Dumbledore began field dressing his arm, while ignoring the dressing down Moody was giving him. As if stung, the elderly wizard jumped, and reached into his robes. With a look of excitement, he wrapped up his semi-healed stump, and apparated away.

"I don't understand." Shacklebolt confessed to Moody. "Why is Dumbledore acting as if he's been confunded? This is not the same man we all admire."

"The admiration was part of the problem." Moody growled, staring daggers at the space Dumbledore occupied only moments before. "Now though, I think he's gone completely 'round the twist... That's it, I'm dissolving the order. You should concentrate on your real job, and I'll round up those who'll be any use at all to the ministry's efforts. Everyone else should just go home and stay out of the way."

-o-o-

Taking a swig of firewhiskey, Cormac McLaggen tried to drown out the lingering effects of the damned love potion someone had used on him. As he prepared himself for sleep, lingering thoughts of Romilda Vane kept surfacing. Shaking his head violently to disperse such thoughts about a kid, he downed the last of the bottle, and threw himself into bed.

-o-o-

Romilda Vane sat in the shower crying softy, she didn't want her parents to learn about what had happened. She still had no idea how her plans had gotten turned around, or why the love potion had gone so bad, but at least it had almost worn off. Despite the heat of the water, she shivered as she thought about what could have happened if the potion worked as intended. Demelza was right, the whole thing was a stupid idea...

-o-o-

"Gomez look, I think he's waking up." An excited voice cut through McLaggen's skull like a red-hot poker.

"That he is Fester." An equally painful voice struck a hammer blow to his throbbing head. "I'm not surprised it's taken him this long, he smells like a distillery."

Cormac tried to tell whoever it was to be quiet, but couldn't because his mouth was filled with a gag of some kind. The sour taste in his mouth made him retch, and he struggled to rip it out. It was then that his hangover addled mind finally registered what the rest of his body had been screaming at him. He was not only gagged, but hooded as well. His arms and legs were bound, and he was being carried somewhere. Fear overwhelmed his headache, and he began to scream into the gag while fighting to free his limbs.

Deranged laughter filled the night as McLaggen struggled for naught.

-o-o-

There was a lovely scent in the air as Romilda opened her eyes. She sat up, and let the strange woman help her to her feet. Why was there a woman in her room? She tried to scream, but instead found herself calmly walking to her closet, where the stranger helped her change into her robes. Try as she might, she could only watch silently as her body moved on its own.

Against her will, Romilda left her bedroom in the company of the pale, strangely beautiful woman. As she walked past her parents room, she tried again to scream, but her voice would not cooperate.

Romilda realized there was a wispy smoke that was barely noticeable permeating the house. The source of the sweet smelling smoke was a small iron braizer held by the new divination teacher. The hag-like witch cackled softly as Romilda passed.

"Dementia dear, what's that you have?" The strange woman asked just as a corpse-like woman walked into view.

The corpse-woman held up a scrap of parchment. "Just thought I'd give her parents some closure. It's a nice little suicide note. Margaret taught me how to forge back when I was What's nanny."

Romilda tried again to scream in terror, but as before, it was in vain. She wanted to cry, but even that was beyond her ability. In the depths of her own mind, she screamed again and again for her parents to save her.

"Alright ladies, if we don't get going, then the incense will burn down before we get back." The creepy professor urged the other two women.

-o-o-

McLaggen began to sweat as he felt himself dropped roughly into a chair. The room was uncomfortably warm, and he started to feel suffocated by his hood before it was ripped off of him. Through the blinding bright light he saw three figures looming over him.

"Now I know you never managed to touch Wednesday, but you did try. Do you remember what I told you I'd do to you?" The middle figure asked, his burning emerald eyes seemed to outshine the room lighting.

Shaking his head no, McLaggen screamed through his gag.

"No? Tsk... You should have payed better attention." Harry's expression melted into a grim frown. "I said I'd rip your arms off. Fortunate for you, I've had time to think, and I've decided to go a different direction."

One of the other two figures brought a rapier to bear, and despite McLaggen's fearful flinching, the sword was used to deftly cut away the cloth holding his gag in place. Immediately, he spat out the sour gag, and promptly threw up.

"Come now old man, control yourself." The swordsman admonished, shaking his head in disappointment.

After taking a few moments to remember the spell, Harry vanished the vomit. "As I was saying, a different direction. One more fitting of your crime."

"What crime?" McLaggen groaned. "I didn't do anything!"

"We already turned your love potion against you, so don't try and pretend you weren't trying to rape my Wednesday with amortentia." Harry's voice was cold and unforgiving.

Looking genuinely confused, McLaggen denied the accusation. "No! I wasn't, I swear. I don't need some stupid potion to get a witch to sleep with me. It was that Vane girl, she must have done it. I knew she was going to try to use a love potion on you, but I had no idea she'd use one on your girlfriend."

"Hmm, I think our friend here is telling the truth." The swordsman pointed out to Harry.

"Really?"

"I'd swear in front of the Wizengamot, in front of Merlin himself." McLaggen eagerly nodded up and down.

Harry looked back and forth between the two other men, occasionally glancing at McLaggen. Then he chuckled softly.

"C'est la vie!" The swordsman laughed as he threw the tip of his rapier into the air. Harry and the other man joined in, erupting into raucous laughter, but McLaggen couldn't see what was funny.

The largest man picked up McLaggen, and swung him over to something that resembled a sawhorse that came to a point. "Let's get you strapped down nice and tight, and we'll leave you and Harry to have some fun."

Despite further protests proclaiming his innocence, Cormac found himself laying face down on the top edge of the wooden horse, and his limbs were fastened to each of the horse's legs. Small comfort that it was, McLaggen was thankful that the horse was rather short, so his crotch wasn't pressed into the sharp edge that was already causing great discomfort. Finally, his head was pulled back, and secured with a leather strap. The strap forced to look at the reason why the room was so warm, a small brick furnace was in the corner. The furnace blazed merrily, with a glowing crucible cradled in the flames

"That's just perfect Uncle Fester." Harry commented as he picked up an iron rod, and set it into the crucible. "If either of you knows where Wednesday is, could you ask her to join me? No rush, I'm going to take my time."

The door shut, and McLaggen watched in trepidation as Harry pulled the metal rod out of the crucible. Glowing brightly, a glob of molten glass began to droop from the rod as Harry slowly turned it. "Have you ever heard of a Prince Rupert's Drop?"

Too scared to use his voice, the bound man merely shook his head.

"No? It's pretty amazing actually. A muggle found out how to make nearly unbreakable glass." Carefully, Harry allowed the liquid glass to drop into a nearby barrel of water. An eruption of steam clouded McLaggen's vision, but he could hear Harry's voice clearly. "I'll admit that I don't understand how it works myself, but then I don't really need to."

As the steam cleared away, Harry held up a piece of glass shaped like a teardrop with a long squiggly tail. After showing the creation to his captive, he walked around and out of sight. "You're going to die tonight Cormac, and oh I've been looking forward to this. You might not be quite as guilty as I thought, but if what Katie has told me is even half true, then you more than deserve what I'm about to do."

The snap of rubber gloves made McLaggen shiver, and he found his voice when he felt his pajama bottoms pulled down to his ankles. "No! Wait! I'll do anything you want, just let me go!"

"Is that how some of your conquests begged you?" Harry's voice was flat, cold, and utterly humorless. "Love is a wonderful thing, but it cannot be forced. What you did to those witches was unforgivable, and trying to do the same to my fiancée... Well, I've decided to get creative."

McLaggen felt a painful intrusion, and continued to repeatedly cry out, "No!"

"Calm down you big baby. That shouldn't have even registered as painful. You might feel uncomfortable, violated, terrified, but you shouldn't be in any pain yet. Don't worry, the pain will come soon enough." Harry assured Mclaggen with a rough pat on the back.

"Look, I admit I've maybe lied a bit to convince a few witches to sleep with me, but plenty of wizards do that." The terrified man pleaded. "Why are you doing this to me?"

Walking back into view, Harry tossed his gloves aside, and proceeded to make a few more glass drops. "Let me show you what blissful agony awaits you, but first let's protect your eyes. I wouldn't want you to miss anything because you lost an eye or two."

After putting goggles on McLaggen, Harry held up one of the drops in one hand, and wire cutters in the other. "The big round part of a Prince Rupert's Drop is just about indestructible, it's amazing that it's not magic at all. The little tail on the other hand, now that is incredibly fragile. Watch." Harry grinned sadistically as he closed the cutters on the tip of the drop's tail.

In an instant the glass drop exploded violently, sending tiny shards everywhere. Harry chuckled maniacally, and McLaggen's eyes widened in understanding and renewed fear. Small drops of blood welled up all over Harry's face, and the hand that held the glass began to look like it had been dipped in blood.

"No! Merlin, NO!" McLaggen shrieked. "You can't do this to me! I'm a pure-blood, my family is wealthy, you can't do this!"

"I really couldn't care less about all that." Harry shrugged and patted McLaggen's face with his bloody hand. "All you are to me, is a cretin that needs to be put down."

The sound of glass being cut, and an eruption of pain registered at the same time. Crying out in horrified agony, McLaggen began whimpering unintelligibly.

"You know what's nice? Symmetry sounds like fun." McLaggen heard Harry's cheerful voice, which was accompanied by his mouth being wrenched open with a rusty metal spreader of some sort, and another drop of glass shoved down his throat.

A knock on the door prompted Harry to stand and open it. Wednesday was on the other side, with a look of curiosity. "You look like you've been having quite a bit of fun." She ran her fingers across his face, painting her fingertips red with blood. "You wanted me?"

"Always, but yes to the fun too. I've been playing with those glass drops Hermione talked about. The blood on me is my own, the blood on the floor..." Harry stepped aside to let Wednesday enter, and clipped the glass tail protruding from McLaggen's mouth. "belongs to him."

Wednesday was presented with the sight of McLaggen bent over, strapped down, and bleeding profusely from both ends. "I'm almost sorry I ever doubted her, Hermione is a good friend with such interesting ideas. Did you invite me to watch him bleed out?"

"If you'd like." Harry agreed, then pulled out an old pair of gardening sheers. "I was planning on making him a eunuch as well. Did you want the honors?"

"No, I think I just want to watch the light leave his eyes." She absently licked her fingers clean while she moved to be in front of the dying man.

"Suit yourself." Harry shrugged as he moved behind McLaggen.

McLaggen only vaguely understood what was happening. He knew he was dying, and had even managed to accept that. He had no idea what a eunuch was, but figured nothing could be as bad as the exploding glass suppository. Suddenly he had a horrific understanding as he felt jagged metal surround his favorite body part.

Seeing renewed terror in McLaggen's eyes, Wednesday's lips curled into a wicked smile, and she whispered darkly. "My fiancé is the jealous type. Of course, you really should consider yourself lucky. Had you succeeded at all, I would be the one to punish you. Harry means well, and is a fast learner, but he is only a beginner."

The excruciating pain of Harry slowly closing the sheers caused him to lose consciousness. The last thing McLaggen saw, was Wednesday's sadistic smile.

"Not bad Harry. He fainted before he bled out though." Wednesday commented with minor criticism. "The castration was too much for him, but at least he knew he was dying."

"Well, I feel better at any rate." Harry shrugged, and tossed the bloody sheers over his shoulder.

"Thank you for letting me be a part of this." Wednesday looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think you should be there when the Vane girl draws her last breath. I think my presence helped to crush the last of his spirit. Your demented grin will likely do the same for her.

-o-o-

As Romilda was led over the decrepit building's threshold, waves of pain crashed through her unresponsive body. Waiting in the building's foyer, the Addams girl stared at her with emotionless detachment.

"Thank you Mother, Grandmama, Aunt Dementia." Wednesday addressed Romilda's kidnappers, before reaching her hand out to lead the scared girl further into the darkness. "Come Romilda, you and I have much to discuss."

Discovering that the Addams girl was behind her abduction, was somewhat of a relief for Romilda. The entire thing must be an elaborate prank to drive home how stupid she was for playing with love potions. It wasn't to say that she was no longer afraid, but at least she didn't have to worry about being murdered or anything. The divination teacher really should have been her first clue, there was no way a Hogwarts professor would put her in any real danger.

Eventually, Wednesday brought Romilda to a small room where she helped the younger girl lay down on a narrow table. As she secured the younger girl to the table with leather straps, Wednesday spoke in her usual monotone. "Grandmama's incense will wear off soon, and you'll be able to speak again. Feel free to scream and cry, but no one who will care can hear you."

Romilda squeaked as the magic subduing here began to dissipate. Coughing to clear her voice, she tried again, but couldn't yet manage to form words. Wednesday finished strapping her down, and gave a smile that could turn water to ice.

"There was once a wonderfully depraved cult dedicated to the goddess Kali. They would give her still-beating hearts in sacrifice." Wednesday held up a wicked looking kris, admiring the way the torchlight reflected off the wavy blade. "Not a particularly unique or imaginative ritual, but they developed an interesting twist. They figured out how to keep the sacrifice alive, still tied to their removed heart."

Romilda Vane's bindings cut into her as she struggled against them. "Alright! You've made your point, I'm sorry! I won't ever try to steal Harry from you again. But isn't this going too far? You can stop trying to scare me now. I'm plenty scared."

Wednesday ignored her captive's pleas as she set out the various tools she would soon use. She stopped, and held up a rib-spreader for Romilda to see. "Would you believe that surgeons actually use these things to save lives? Tsk, what a waste."

A large pair of angled scissors was the last tool brought out, and Wednesday immediately set to using it. She cut away the front of Romilda's robes with clinical detachment. "I've never opened up a living person like this before, but I've still had plenty of practice. It gives my brothers an excuse to play in new graveyards."

The door creaked open, and Romilda briefly hoped that she would be saved when a well dressed man poked his head into the room.

"Wednesday! If you're not too preoccupied, your charming husband-to-be would enjoy your company." The man didn't react at all to Romilda's cries for help; instead he lit a fresh cigar, and took several quick puffs. "He did mention that there was no rush, so take your time. I'll be right out here to show you where he is when you're ready."

"That's alright father, I can go now. I can't do too much until the incense fully wears off anyway." Wednesday set her scissors aside and walked out, not sparing a glance back to her terrified prisoner.

Time slowed to an agonizing crawl. While struggling against her bonds, she made a point not to look at the implements of torture. Gryffindor that she was, Romilda refused to let panic settle in, and closing her eyes helped. To keep herself from despair, she reminded herself that she hadn't actually been hurt. This whole thing could still be a revenge prank taken way, way too far.

When the rusty door hinges cried out once more, Romilda opened her eyes to see the object of her affection walk in. She held no more illusions that Harry might want her, but if he was here it had to be a prank. "Harry, thank Merlin! I promise I've learned my lesson, I'll leave you alone. Please let me go, your girlfriend is dementer-scary."

"Is this a bone saw?" Harry asked in interest, holding up the tool in question as Wednesday reentered the room. "Your family has so many fun toys."

"Uncle Fester gave it to me when I started showing an interest in boys." Wednesday's smile and Harry's indifference made Romilda's blood run cold.

Harry laughed as he sat down opposite Romilda. Staring into her fear filled eyes, he shook his head. "I just cleaned up from dealing with your friend Mclaggen. I'm not sure he was capable of understanding what it was he did wrong. Your friend Demelza seems to think you are just impulsive instead of stupid, so I want to see if you get it."

"I get it! I get it!" She cried out, nodding frantically. "You're engaged. You love each other. I should never have tried to steal you from her."

"If that was all you did, I might have just ripped out your eyeballs." Wednesday commented lightly.

"The love potion." Harry said with an icy tone as he narrowed his eyes. "You and the other idiot tried to use magic to strip us of our wills. You didn't have the basic decency to try to brainwash us with sensory deprivation, starvation, red hot pokers... the kind of romantic gestures that have worked through the ages."

Wednesday closed her eyes and moaned as her imagination ran wild. "If I didn't have our honeymoon already planned out, I would expect you to show me that kind of romance."

Harry stood so that he could embrace his soon-to-be wife. "We have our whole marriage ahead of us, I'm sure we can fit in a nice long weekend of depravity here and there."

Staring into each other's eyes, the two lovers deepened their embrace, and began kissing passionately, verging on the obscene.

Romilda shuddered as she realized what kind of romantic acts Harry might have done had her plan succeeded. "You two were clearly made for each other. Why don't you just let me go so you can have some quality time together?"

"She's right you know." Harry broke away reluctantly. "Quality time sounds like a great idea. Why don't you take care of Vane here so we don't have her murder hanging over our heads."

-o-o-

Margaret and Morticia were chatting over a cup of tea while What and Pubert quietly played hangman in the corner.

A bloodcurdling shriek floated up through the floorboards, followed by sustained cries of pain and terror. The muffled sound of a power tool preceded the distinct sound of bones snapping.

Morticia looked upset as she set down her teacup and shook her head. "I can't believe my daughter. When she begged me to buy her that rib spreader, she promised that she'd use it properly. I'm not buying another one if her impatience breaks this one."

"She probably just got excited, I'm sure she'll be more careful with it." Margaret reassured her friend, then glanced over at her own child. "What! Don't you dare push your cousin off that chair while a rope is wrapped around his neck like that. Tie a proper noose, just like Uncle fester showed you.

-o-o-

Romilda woke feeling worse than she ever had. Her entire chest felt like it was on fire. Opening her eyes, she saw Harry leaning over her with a kind smile. Was she dreaming?

"Welcome back, here let me help you." Harry's voice was kind, and she felt his strong hands lift her head up.

Everything came rushing back to her, as Romilda looked down to see her wide open chest. Her heart visibly beating faster as panic began to set in again.

Harry's hand clamped over her mouth as he whispered into her ear. "Shh, this is the good part. Just watch."

Wednesday chanted softly as she reached into Romilda, and wrapped her fingers around the younger girl's heart. Smiling vindictively she lifted the beating organ up high, then offered it to Harry.

"No, I don't want it." Harry let Romilda's head drop. "Yours is the only heart I want."

"I expected you to enjoy crushing her heart beneath your heel, but have it your way." Wednesday stared into Romilda's eyes to insure that she was watching, and deliberately bit into her heart.

Both the girl, and her heart spasmed as blood quickly poured from the magically sustained organ. Paling rapidly, Romilda's last sight was Wednesday's bloody grin.

-o-o-

Bill tore through Saint Mungo's as soon as he stepped out of the hospital's floo, and slid to a halt outside of his father's room, where Molly and the twins were waiting.

"What's going on?" Bill asked, nearly out of breath. "Is dad going to be okay?"

"They're not sure how or why, but dad woke up a few hours ago." Fred explained with a weak smile. "We talked to him for a little,"

"But mum got so excited they had to force-feed her a calming draught, so we're keeping her company out here." George finished his brother's sentence.

Both twins looked to the door as Fred added, "Percy's in there now... They've been talking for a while."

Finishing up, George tried to look optimistic. "The doctors haven't kicked us out, so that's a good sign right?"

-o-o-

Author's note:

To Willow The Wisp reviewing chapter 23: Your questions may or may not be answered as the story progresses. Asking again via PM may or may not produce a more satisfying answer.

To RandoNPC reviewing chapter 23: I'll grant that Wednesday is rather powerful as a character, but I think calling her a Mary Sue is going a bit far. The old magic makes her immune or resistant to very specific things. There are plenty of ways to beat her, Harry has been discovering some during their 'playtime.'

To Guest reviewing chapter 22: You're absolutely right, neither kill was satisfying for our favorite couple. Both kills were very much spur of the moment, Harry's was anger fueled, and Wednesday's was reflexive.

To DBNY94 reviewing chapter 23: How's that for a coup de grace? Too far? Either way, Vane and McLaggen are certainly dead now.

To Guest reviewing chapter 23: I've seen at least one story resurrect after years of inactivity, so unless an author specifically calls a story dead, there's always hope.

To Guest reviewing chapter 23: I'm glad you liked the opening salvo of revenge on McLaggen/Vance, hopefully you enjoyed the rest of it. As for the Black babies, those things take a while to make, give it time.

To Guest reviewing chapter 21: I don't know yet if there will be another séance. I can safely say that there will be more necromancy in some form.

To LunaAnt reviewing chapter 23: Thank you. I'm happy that I'm still writing too. :)

To Narial reviewing chapter 23: Thank you, I'm glad that my character development is appreciated.

To Slothking reviewing chapter 23: Thank you, I'm glad that the lighthearted portions are enough to offset the darker portions.

To Guest reviewing chapter 23: Dumbledore can't die just yet, he's the main antagonist. At least give the man his chance to be a boss fight. :)

To Wellll reviewing chapter 6: I may get my geek card revoked for this, but I haven't played Undertale, so I had to look up who Mettaton was.

To Pun fuker reviewing chapter 20: I studied the art of the pun in Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, don't make me sic Doc Webster on you. :D

To okay so sans reviewing chapter 22: I'm not sure how to respond to the condiment consumption, but I'm glad you like the story. Eschewing sleep to read it is only fair, as I often trade in sleep time for writing time.

To Guest reviewing chapter 23: I honestly have no idea how I would interpret your review as a flame. I see no hate whatsoever... -shrug-

As for your question, creating more deranged lunatics like Asclepius probably isn't going to happen, at least not in the same way. I'm not ruling out more people joining the Addams side of the force, but we'll just see what happens.

To Jack reviewing chapter 23: Use your imagination to fill in the 'good parts' that I leave out of the sex scenes. You know what you like better than I do. ;)


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